Second Opinion
by SparkELee
Summary: What happens when SGH ends up with a patient who appears to be in perfect health, save for the fact that he's dying? They call in the best! House MD crossover. I TWEAKED THE CHAPTERS! GO BACK AND REREAD!
1. No Cause

CROSSOVER ALERT! So I've decided that it would be interesting to see what would happen if our lovely Diagnostic team from PPTH made a cross country trip to SGH (That's right, Grey's Anatomy) in Washington to help diagnose a case!!

Second Opinion

Chapter 1: No Cause

"House!" Dr. Cuddy called out as she quickened her step to catch up with the bizarrely fast pace of the crippled doctor. "House!" She called again, closer this time.

"Didn't you hear me?!" She asked, following him into his office, crossing her arms in front of her.

He spun on his heel. "I'm sorry, were you speaking?" He returned, furrowing his brow in mock confusion.

"Don't toy with me." She shot back as she followed him deeper into his office as he settled into his office chair.

"You always take the fun out of everything." He complained as he propped his feet up on the desk, rummaging through his drawer, presumably looking for his gameboy. "You always allude me." He muttered as he pulled his toy out of its hiding place and powering it on, the little beeps indicating the game beginning.

"I assume you're here for a reason." He said, not looking up from his game as his fingers flew over the buttons.

"Case. 29 year old male. No apparent symptoms, no elevated temperature, vitals are fine, appears to be in perfect health." She rattled off, hands on her hips.

He paused his game. "When did we start treating healthy people? Run out of sick ones?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"He's dying." She shot back, dropping the file on his desk and sitting down across from him.

"You just said he was in perfect health." He countered, finally putting his game down, this admitting his albeit slight interest in the case.

"He is except for the whole dying part. He's in and out of a coma, seizing, his organs appear to be shutting down." She explained, gaining a bit of confidence now that she had his attention.

He picked up the file and opened it, noticing the forms were different than the standard PPTH forms. "SGH? Seattle Grace? What's going on?" He asked suspiciously, not liking the turn this was taking.

She sighed. "They've requested a consult. Derek Shepherd can't figure it out, Preston Burke can't figure it out. This guy is dying and apparently, they can't figure out why. They've asked me to send you out." She told him.

He tipped his chair back, dropping the file on the desk and steepling his fingers, his brow knitting as he thought.

"Shepherd and Burke can't figure it out? Seriously?" He questioned, surprised at his fellow colleagues lack of a diagnosis.

She said nothing. She knew he was thinking, turning the idea over in his head. "If I go, I'm taking my team. And Wilson." He told her, meeting her eyes at last.

"You can take the team. But Wilson? Why? They've tested for cancer. Al the tests came back negative." She argued.

"Well I dunno, he makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when he's near. And I want to run tests of my own, cancer scans included." He shot back.

She sat back in her chair and thought for a moment. He wasn't going to give up, that was something he never did. He was going to push until he got what he wanted anyways. So really, it was a matter of giving it to him now or later. She sighed. "Fine, I'll have your tickets in an hour. You leave tonight. You tell everyone." She told him, finishing the last bit as she left.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was gathered in the small conference room adjacent to his office. "Good morning kiddies. Daddy has a surprise for you. We're going to Seattle." He announced.

"Why? What for?" Foreman asked, leaning forward. They never traveled for cases.

"I thought we could all use a nice trip away, a little group outing. What do you think? For a patient. We've been requested." He told them.

"Really? What's the case?" Cameron asked, standing to refill her coffee, keeping an eye on House as he spun to watch her.

"That's just it. In theory, there is no case. That's what so interesting. He has no illness, every test, every scan, every x-ray and MRI is clean." He told them.

"What? We're going across the country for no case?" Chase asked, speaking up at last. The room turned to look at House.

"No, we're going because despite all that, he's dying. Been a coma off and on, respiratory issues, and his organs seem to be shutting down." House responded.

"Those are symptoms." Cameron countered.

"Yes, but the interesting part is they can't figure out why." House elaborated.

Eyebrows raised around the entire room. Wilson spoke first. "When do we leave?"

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	2. Reputations

Second Opinion

Chapter 2: Reputations

Cuddy cut them all loose a few hours early to go home and pack. "How long are we supposed to be gone exactly?" Cameron questioned as they all headed to the bank of elevators at the end of the hall.

House shrugged. "Could be 3 days, could be a week. We won't stay past two weeks or so, wouldn't want anyone around here to miss us, or god forbid, a patient come in and no one can fix him." He replied tartly.

"I'll pick you two up in an hour." Wilson said, nodding at Foreman and Chase, who returned their agreement.

"Pick me up at 5, not a minute later." House told Cameron, not even bothering to make eye contact with her.

"Wait, why me?" She questioned, stopping in her tracks, confused at her instructions.

He swiveled around to face the attractive young doctor. "Because we can't all fit in Wilson's car, and I'm not parking the 'vette in airport parking for someone to violate her. That's just wrong." He responded, his bright blue eyes daring her to disagree.

"But it's OK to leave my car there?" She asked incredulously, not backing off.

"Well, seeing as we aren't going to get our luggage on my bike, yes, I'd say it's OK to leave your car there. Nobody cares about your Honda." He said dismissively before turning around and heading to his car, leaving her to stand there.

MEANWHILE – SEATTLE GRACE HOSPITAL

"Well?" Derek asked, catching up to Richard Weber as the older man headed towards the conference hall.

"He's coming, along with the rest of his team, and an oncologist apparently." Richard replied, slight confusion evident in his voice.

Derek laughed a bit. "Wilson I'm sure. He and House go back. I'm not surprised. Just glad he's coming." He confessed to the older man as he followed him into a small conference room to make the formal announcement.

"I'm sure he'll make you pay. We both know how House is when it comes to people asking for his help. He'll never let you forget it or live it down." Richard said, his voice low as they entered the room.

"Wouldn't expect anything less." Derek muttered as he came to stand next to the Chief.

Meredith, Izzie and Cristina had been paged to the conference room 10 minutes earlier. Bailey, Burke, Alex and George had also been paged and were milling around the conference room, waiting for the chief and Derek.

"Good afternoon people." Richard greeted as they walked into the conference room, shutting the door behind them.

Everyone sat forward in their chairs as Richard came to stand at the head of the table.

"As you all know, Clark Duncan has been a confusing and troubling case for all of us. The young man is dying, and we have no apparent cause. His comas aren't accounted for, he seizes for no apparent reason, has a breathing tube down his throat because he can't do it himself and we don't know why. So I made a call out to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and Dr. Gregory House and his team will be out here to help starting tomorrow. As of tomorrow, the case will be headed up by Dr. House, Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Burke. That's all. You may all head back to work." Richard finished.

The group started to file out. "Dr. House… Man, I would have killed to intern there, it was my first choice." Cristina muttered as they headed to the elevators.

"Who wouldn't have killed to intern there?" Izzie chimed in, her voice filled with excitement at the opportunity to work with the well known doctor.

MEANWHILE – CAMERON'S APARTMENT

She spent 45 minutes throwing her stuff into two suitcases. "What do I take to Seattle?" She muttered to herself, throwing random items into the cases. "Wish I knew for sure how long we're staying." She said with a sigh as she zipped up the last case.

Now, what to wear… Traveling for 6 hours, sitting an in airport for two. She opted for a pair of worn out, dog eared Levi's and a pale yellow, slightly clingy henley. She shoved her feet into a pair of sneakers and glanced at her night stand. The alarm clock read 4:45. Time to go.

She quickly dragged the suitcases to her car and tossed them in the trunk, going back to the apartment to retrieve her purse and coat. She locked up and headed to the car, making her way to House's condo, arriving at 5 on the dot.

He was standing outside, a lone suitcase sitting at his feet. "You're late." He quipped as she opened the trunk and grabbed his bag.

"I'm right on time." She protested as he limped around to the passenger side and threw the door open.

"I know, but for a person who's normally 15 minutes early, being on time is like being late." He explained, his tone snarky.

She sighed and rolled her eyes as she situated herself in the driver's seat.

Two hours later, the team began boarding the 7:30 flight out of New Jersey and into Seattle. They were the first ones on board, courtesy of House and his cane.

"For once, your gimp leg did some good." Wilson teased, clapping House on the shoulder as the 5 of them took a row of seats in the back, facing each other.

"I feel so used. Didn't even take me to dinner first." House shot back, the statement dripping with sarcasm.

Wilson just rolled his eyes and went to sit in the seat next to House, who'd claimed the aisle. Wilson shot him a dirty look.

"I'm saving that seat for my stuff. Don't want to make the cripple have to stand up every time he wants his gameboy or iPod, do you?" House asked, cocking an eyebrow at the oncologist.

"Can't you at least sit next to the window then?" Wilson questioned, bracing an arm on the overhead compartment.

"Nope, cause then I won't be able to get to the bathroom as easily, and I plan on drinking… A lot. Speaking of drinking, Waitress?!" He called out, raising his cane to get the attention of a nearby flight attendant.

Wilson sighed and took the seat next to the window as the 3 remaining members filed in, Foreman taking the window, Chase in the middle and Cameron on the aisle.

House began unpacking his gameboy and iPod and was just about to stick the earbuds in when something caught his attention.

"You know Ellis Grey's daughter is an intern at Seattle Grace. Ellis practiced there too." Chase remarked to Foreman as he buckled his seat belt.

House had forgotten all about that. He'd known Ellis briefly, when she'd flown into New York to meet up with several doctors on a case, he being one of them. House racked his brain a moment, trying to come up with the prodigal daughter's name. Meredith. That's it.

"Wonder if the daughter can get me in with her mum? Pick her brain, you know?" Chase continued, unaware that House was listening.

"The 'daughter' you're referring to? Her name is Meredith. You should at least know the name of the person you're going to manipulate before doing so. Not that it would help, seeing as it's a terrible idea and it won't get you anywhere, but still." House commented, flicking his gameboy on and turning his full attention to the toy.

Cameron smiled to herself. House certainly had moments that surprised her, and standing up for an intern was an unusual one.

"Why wouldn't she help me?" Chase asked, his brow furrowed as he turned his attention to his boss.

"Not that she wouldn't. But it won't do any good. Ellis has advanced Alzheimer's. Half the time she thinks she's twenty years younger and a still practicing. The other half of the time, she doesn't even recognize her own kid." House quipped, sticking the earbuds in and focusing back on the game.

They touched down in Seattle at a little after 1:30 am. They gathered their carry ons and filed off.

"You guys grab the luggage. Let the cripple and the girl deal with picking up the rental." House said as they moved around him. Wilson nodded and grabbed the luggage tickets from Cameron and House.

Cameron and House walked in silence to baggage claim. She felt like death warmed over as she adjusted her pony tail, attempting to smooth her appearance.

"Give it up. No one looks gorgeous at 2 am. Not even you." House muttered as they strode to the Enterprise desk to pick up the keys to the SUV they were being provided with.

"Can't blame me for trying." She said softly as they waited for the car to pull up. He had no response, as usual. They waited in silence. The air was cooler than in New Jersey and Cameron hadn't thought to keep her coat with her instead of packing it. She wrapped her arms a bit tighter around her in an attempt to ward off the offending air.

House glanced to his young companion, who was making a valiant effort to appear fine when she was in fact, shaking like a leaf. He rolled his eyes as he awkwardly shrugged out of his sport coat and tossed it over her shoulders.

"I need you healthy. Can't have the immunologist down with a cold." He told her, effectively cutting off the appreciative thank you that was about to exit her mouth.

The car pulled up a few minutes later and House accepted the keys. He pulled Cameron's door open for her as he moved around the front of the vehicle to the other side.

15 minutes later, they'd picked up the guys and were on the way to the hotel.

By 2:30 they were checked in and headed to the suite they were staying in.

245 was the suite number. House handed out the keys before they went it.

It wasn't much. There were two bedrooms. The smaller one had a queen sized bed, the larger had two full size beds.

There was a small living room with two pull out couches and a desk, and a kitchen with a table equipped for six rounded it out.

"Not much to it, but it'll work. Cameron, you take the single bedroom. Wilson and I will take the other. Chase and Foreman, I'm sure the instructions for the pull outs are around here somewhere." House said as he made his way to the bedroom, leaving Wilson behind.

"Get some sleep, or as much as you can. We have to be at SGH at 7." Wilson told them before following House to the bedroom.

By the time 3 am rolled around, the entire suite was asleep.

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	3. First Impressions

Glad you're all enjoying it!

Second Opinions

Chapter 3: First Impressions

_RIIIIINNNGG!! RIINNNNGG!_ Cameron rolled over, fumbling for the phone ringing by the bed. She squinted at the clock. It blinked 5:30 at her. She grabbed the phone, putting it to her ear. "Hello?" She said hoarsely into the phone, her voice still filled with sleep.

"You sound hot when you're barely awake, remind me to call you in the morning more. We're thirsty, we need coffee." House's voice snarked over the line before it went dead.

She smiled in spite of herself. _He knew that would get me going._ She thought as she hauled herself to her feet, padding out of her room and into the common area to find her co-workers rumpled and bedraggled. But they all sat up a little straighter when Cameron entered. She looked down at her choice of pajamas, slightly clingy pink shorts and a black tank top. _Maybe I should've gotten dressed…_.

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one still in pajamas. Wilson was sitting at the table in sweatpants and white T-shirt. Chase was in knee length athletic shorts and a wife beater. Foreman was dressed in baggy pajama bottoms and a t-shirt bearing some sort of sports team on it. Only House was dressed, if you could call jeans and a black Lynard Skynard shirt dressed.

"Nice outfit Cameron. Planning to change or do you want to give half the patients at SGH a heart attack?" House asked as he limped to the table.

She just rolled her eyes and started towards the coffee maker and had it humming away in minutes.

She turned to address the living room, slipping into her maternal role. "Start showering, I'll call up room service and have them bring breakfast." She told them. They quickly stood, not having to be told twice, gathering clothes from their garment bags before heading to the bathrooms.

Only House remained. He sat at the table, drumming his fingers, waiting for the cup to be delivered. Sure enough, within 2 minutes he had a cup of coffee sitting in front of him. He took a grateful sip, training his vibrant blue eyes on the younger woman in the kitchen. 5 minutes after that, breakfast arrived. He observed as she set about putting breakfast together for them. She moved fluidly, flawlessly, and without hesitation. She was comfortable in her own skin, unaffected and unafraid.

"Stop." She said to him without even turning around. A normal human being would have been embarrassed and would have blushed at being caught staring so blatantly. Not House. _Smart girl. Always knew there was something between those ears…_

He rolled his eyes at her as she set a plate of food down in front of him. He liked how she took care of him, of the team. She didn't see what she did for them as degrading or lowering herself. It was who she was, and it was getting harder and harder for him to deny that he didn't like that quality about her, hell that he didn't like HER.

By 6:30 they were showered and dressed, Cameron emerging from her room last. She'd opted for tan pin striped pants, matching vest and white shirt underneath. She was patting her hair into place as she came out.

"God Cameron, we're just going to Seattle Grace. You'd think she was entering some sort of pageant. Can we go now?" He asked her impatiently. He'd never admit that he liked the fact that she put so much effort into looking nice, and he couldn't help but feel a bit smug knowing that he was a tiny part of why she always made sure she looked good.

The ride to Seattle Grace Hospital was quiet and uneventful. They pulled up 15 minutes after leaving the hotel. They gathered their things and entered the beautifully designed hospital.

"Wilson, be a dear and check us in?" House suggested, pointing with his cane to the front desk. Wilson sighed and rolled his eyes, but ultimately, he gave in and approached the desk, speaking briefly with the front desk.

"We're expected in the 5th floor conference room. She called Weber and he'll have everyone gathered by the time we get up there." Wilson reported as he returned to the group.

"Wow, that fast? That's service. I feel like a celebrity. Think I can con them into giving me my own office?" House muttered as they made their way to the elevators.

Richard Weber had his secretary send out the page to all involved doctors on the Duncan case. He made his way to the conference room, slowing only when he saw Derek and Meredith standing at the nurse's station together, consulting over a case.

"How are you and the vet?" Derek asked, unable to keep the edge out of his voice.

"He has a name. You know it. He's your vet too." Meredith pointed out, not lifting her eyes from the chart.

"He's not _my_ vet. He's Doc's vet. And for the record, I didn't pick him. I voted for the old guy." Derek shot back.

She rolled her eyes. "We're not having this conversation. Not if you're going to be an ass each and every time." She told him, seeing the Chief coming out of the corner of her eye. She elbowed Derek and jerked her head in the direction the chief was coming from. Derek took the hint and dropped the subject. Seconds later, the chief joined them in walking towards the conference room.

"Do you really think Dr. House can figure out what's wrong with Mr. Duncan?" Meredith asked as she fell into step beside Richard.

"Let me put it to you this way, if House can't figure it out, Duncan's as good as dead." Richard replied grimly. Meredith and Derek met eyes briefly. They knew what sort of position the chief was in. Bringing out specialists was a big deal and they were going to have a hard time justifying the cross country journey if the patient ended up dead.

Preston Burke was entering the room behind Bailey and the rest of her interns as the chief and his two escorts approached. He held the door for them and followed them inside.

"Listen up. We only have a few seconds before Dr. House and his team arrive. You will be on your best behavior and I expect you to listen to him, hell he's one of the best, I expect you to learn something from him." Richard told the group of young interns.

"Man, I have to teach them too? I came out here to get away from teaching interns!" A voice mocked from the door. The room turned to look at the man in the doorway.

"I'm Dr. Gregory House, diagnostician, just call me House. This is Dr. James Wilson, you can call him Jimmy. He's an oncologist, for all you newbies out there, he's the cancer guy. And these are the Three Musketeers, Dr. Robert Chase, intensivist, Dr. Eric Foreman, neurologist, and my lovely assistant is, wait, Cameron, what's your first name again?" House asked mockingly.

"Oh wait, I got it. Allison. Allison Cameron. Immunologist and PPTH's resident babe." House finished as the group filed in and sat down.

Derek smiled at House's version of introductions, his eyes scanning the room, observing the shocked expressions on his colleagues faces. The only ones not taken aback were him, Burke and Weber. The man certainly knew how to make a first impression.

"Dr. House, good to see you again." The chief said, offering his hand. Despite House's glib statements, he knew when to be serious. He shook the older man's hand firmly.

"You know Shepherd and Burke, correct?" Richard guessed.

"Gentlemen. Nice to see you again." House said with a nod in their direction. They returned the greeting.

"And our interns on the case are Izzie Stevens, Cristina Yang, Alex Karev, George O'Malley and Meredith Grey." The chief finished.

House raised his eyebrows at the last name and Chase leaned forward. House put a hand on his shoulder, effectively reining him in. "Dr. Grey. Big fan of your mother's. Ellis was a wonderful surgeon. I hear you're following in her footsteps." House said solemnly.

Meredith nodded her thanks, not trusting her voice. She wasn't surprised that he knew who her mother was, most people did. But, the fact that he knew who she was left her speechless.

It wasn't the man leaving her speechless that bothered Derek. It was the keen interest the older man was taking in her, and the way she was looking at him. Those things coupled together left Derek feeling slightly ill at ease.

"I'm Miranda Bailey and I'm in charge of that mangy bunch of interns." The small woman said, sidling up to Dr. House.

"So they do have a babysitter. Excellent. Do me a favor and keep them from getting underfoot, would you?" House asked, sarcasm etched in his voice.

Bailey opened her mouth to snipe back but caught the chief watching her and shut it, returning to her seat.

"Right, well we all need to get to work. Is this where we'll be camping out?" House asked, turning to the chief.

"We've actually set up an office for you just down the hall." Richard told him. House sent his team a snide look and they all filed out. "I want everyone who's been assigned to this case in my office. Chief Weber? Two things." House said as they made their way down the hall.

"Name it." The older man replied automatically.

"Coffee maker and white board." House told him.

"Already there. Coffee's on." Dr. Weber responded, holding the door open for the

slightly crippled younger man.

House turned to look at Cameron, but she quickly looked away. "Cameron, you sly she-devil. Knows the way to my heart, that one. Nothing gets me going like a white board and coffee maker." House said to Derek as they all filed into the new office, save for the chief.

Cameron made her way to the coffee maker, quickly pouring House a cup as he strode to the white board. The SGH team watched in awe as she delivered it with no request for it or any word of thanks from him.

Cristina arched her eyebrows in surprise, her mouth opened slightly, ready to make a comment. "I wouldn't if I were you. It's not a women's lib issue, it's…. It's their thing." Wilson whispered quietly to the young asian woman he sat down next to. She immediately clamped her mouth shut, knowing it would be better to stay quiet.

House made himself comfortable at the front of the room. "All right. We're going to do a complete work up. Every test, every scan, we're doing it all." He started, picking up a marker.

"But we already did that." Izzie piped up. The entire team from PPTH turned to look at the young woman. She shrank down under their gaze, realizing that maybe she shouldn't have spoken up.

"No, YOU ran those tests. YOU are an intern. Might as well have let blind mutes do the tests." House muttered. She started to speak again, but Bailey reached over and clamped her hand over the young woman's mouth.

House waited a moment, to be sure the room was finished. "I want MY team running the tests. Chase and Foreman can start that. Wilson, make sure it's not cancer. Cameron can take a history, make sure you get his address, we may be doing a little recon. And before blondie speaks up again, yes I know you took a history, but this is my case now so we're going to take our own history." House finished, directing his last comment at Izzie.

"Shep? Burke? Feel like doing a little brainstorming? We need to get something on this board, some sort of pre-diagnosis." House said, his voice full of concentration.

"Absolutely." Derek agreed as Burke nodded his approval.

"Interns? You are not to go near the patient. You will do research. Lots of it. I want at least one disease or condition from each of you. Meredith, I want two from you. Blondie? 5. Go. Dr. Bailey, you do whatever it is residents do, and keep the kiddies away from me…." House trailed off.

House limped over to the desk, pulling out his iPod and gameboy. He stuck the iPod in the desk drawer and flipped on the toy. "Ok gentlemen, let's talk symptoms." House suggested as the team began filing out.

"You mean the ones with no apparent cause?" Burke questioned, his eyes on the toy in House's clutches.

"Those are the ones. Unless you have symptoms that do an apparent cause." House replied, never looking up from his toy.

"Wilson!" House called, seeing his friend's back as he began to leave. The man turned back. House gestured him to come back. Wilson strode over to the cranky man. House scrawled some words onto a blank piece of paper and shoved it in a file, handing it wordlessly to the oncologist.

The group began making their way out. "Is he like that all the time?" Cristina asked, directing the question to the 4 visiting doctors.

"Like what?" Cameron asked, crinkling her eyebrows in confusion.

"Sarcastic, bitter, mean…" Izzie answered, trailing off. Wilson smiled at the young blonde woman as he flipped open the file House handed him. I want employee files on every doctor on this case. Love, H.

"Yes, he's always like that. We like to think of it as his 'charm'." Wilson answered, closing the file.

"Oh yeah, he's a real gem." Alex muttered as they turned the corner.

"Well, he's supposed to be a little off guys. He's a medical genius." Meredith said,

speaking up for the first time since they'd gathered in the conference room.

"Easy for you to say. He likes you." Chase said, catching up to the young intern.

"Me? Why me?" She asked, making eye contact with the blonde Australian.

"Medicine is in your blood. You're inbred. House likes nothing better than good lineage." Foreman answered.

"Medicine is in my blood!" Chase protested.

"Yeah, well, you're an ass." Forman shot back.

Cameron said nothing. Meredith intimidated her. She'd always been the only female, she'd never had to fight for House's attention. Until now.

REVIEW!!


	4. Unusual Gestures

A/N: I'm keeping Denny death and Mere/Finn/Derek triangle. For the purposes of the story, Mere didn't choose either and ran after Izzie. After a few months suspension, Izzie comes back under the watchful eye of Bailey and the Chief. Derek didn't tell Addison about any of it. I know it was an important moment in GA history, but it's not an integral part of this story, I may write it later as a flashback though.

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Second Opinions

Chapter 4: Unusual Gestures

House had been pounding away at the white board for over two hours. "Greg, we aren't coming up with anything viable here. Why do we go and speak with Mr. Duncan?" Burke suggested as he pulled his glasses off, rubbing his forehead.

"Talk to a patient? House? Are you new?" Wilson piped up from the door. The 3 men turned to face the oncologist.

"Did the biopsy. Waiting on results. Cancer scan was done half an hour ago." Wilson dutifully reported.

"Where are the other little kiddies?" House questioned as he limped towards his desk.

"Cameron's grilling him for a history, his immediate family is next. Chase is running is blood work. Foreman's getting ready to look over the brain and spinal scans and possibly redo them." He answered.

"Brain scans. Now that's more my area. House, we all need a break from sitting here. I'm going to go consult with Dr. Foreman on the scans." Derek said, standing and stretching slightly.

"Burke?" Greg questioned, turning to the other man.

"I say we, and we being the doctors, not the interns you despise, redo the shotgun and just start going through the list, crossing conditions off as we go." He said, hands on his hips.

"We don't have that kind of time. He's getting worse." A female voice pointed out. The 4 men turned to the door to see Meredith standing there.

"She's right, that would take weeks. But why do you know that? You aren't supposed to be near the patient." House pointed out.

"She wasn't. I didn't think I'd be finished in time to tell you myself." Cameron answered for Meredith as she entered the room, a completely used legal pad and his latest vitals in her hands. She handed it all over to House. "Did the best I could. Hopefully there's something useful in there." Cameron went on as House started flipping through the pages and pages of curly feminine writing.

"Doubtful." He muttered as the remaining members of his team filtered in, soon followed by the remaining interns.

House looked up from his reading to find everyone milling around. "Great. The whole gang's here. Now we can have a sleepover and tell ghost stories." He snarked sarcastically. His team barely batted an eye at his nasty comment.

"He's not long for this world people. So we need to split up. Cover everything. Child prodigies, that's Chase and Grey for those of you who didn't tune in earlier, you two head to his house, do some recon, go over it with a fine tooth comb, twice. Find me ANYTHING. Wilson, you and blondie, test for every cancer you can, quickly. Foreman, you and Shep get the nuero workups going. Ying? Yong? Yang, whatever, you and the Irish one, get me all his personal items from his room." House directed, pointing at each of them with his cane as he moved about, the wheels in his mind turning.

"You, Allan or whatever your name is, you get on the phone and get me all past records of any hospitalizations. Babysitter, you get the coolest job of all. You're going to actually take care of the patient." He finished, false excitement filling his voice.

"I have other patients." Bailey snapped back her hands on her hips, staring him down. Normally, this look, this stance, would have sent any half way sane human being running for the hills.

Not House. He barely batted an eye. He didn't even look up at her as he gathered his stuff. "Don't care. There are other doctors here, right? You aren't the only one. Besides, that's what nurses are for. He's your top priority right now. If he dies, I'm blaming you. Burke, you get some of those feisty little nurses together and redo the shotgun and do it right. Cameron, you and I are going to play 'good cop bad cop' and talk to the patient." House proclaimed as he limped toward the door, getting ready to open it, only to have it opened for him.

The red head on the other side looked just as shocked as he was. "Hello…." He murmured, his eyes quickly scanning the leggy woman in front of him. "Greg House. You are?" He asked.

"Addison Montgomery-Shepherd." She said, offering her hand and a smile. Greg shook it, his brow knitting in confusion.

"Oh, the baby saver! Wait, 'Shepherd'…This is your chick Derek?" He asked, turning back to Derek. The entire Seattle team turned to look at the neurologist, who did little more than shuffle his feet.

"I'm his wife." Addison jumped in, raising her eyebrow at her husband.

"Figured as much. Would've been weird if you were siblings. Groupies, come along now." He called and the team began filing out.

Addison waited by the door for Derek to exit and fell into step with him.

"You guys got Greg House out here huh? Impressive." She commented softly.

"It's not impressive unless he saves the guy, which he hasn't done yet. To tell you the truth, he's stranger than I remember. You should've seen him when Burke suggested his whole 'mind-body-spirit' theory. He looked like he was ready to kill him with his cane." He answered, his voice sounding distant as his eyes landed on the blonde heads of Meredith and Dr. Chase. Addison followed his eyes and rolled hers.

"Why do I even bother to speak when we're in her presence? Silly me, I thought you understood that when you stopped seeing her, you were supposed to stop staring at her." Addison hissed.

"Not now Addison. Now is not the time, not when there's this much on the line." He retorted, his voice low. He shot her a look before striding away. Neither of them had been aware of the young immunologist who'd been trailing them, listening intently to the married couple's conversation.

"Where's my shadow? Cameron?!" House barked from the front of the group. She hurried to his side. "You be good cop. I'll be the mean one with the cane. Chase!" He called to the blond Australian. Chase appeared at the man's side, slowed his gait to match his boss's. "Rule still stands. You don't ask her questions about her mother. You know what its like to be in her shoes. Don't pester her. Now go my little ducklings!" He said, shooing them all away.

**Meredith and Chase**

"What does he mean by 'recon'?" She asked as they headed to her car, both having changed to street clothes.

Chase took a moment to take in the young woman keeping pace next to him. She was quite attractive actually. _Maybe Seattle isn't such a terrible place after all._

"It means we're going to this guy's house and we're going to rummage around in his stuff and see if we can't find something attributing to the medical condition." Chase explained as they climbed into her jeep.

"So, breaking and entering?" She questioned as she scanned the address.

"Technically, it's not breaking and entering if you have this." He said, producing a key, a smile playing on his lips.

"Seriously? How did you manage to get that?" She asked, her smile matching his own. Chase warmed slightly under the younger woman's gaze.

"Foreman snitched if out of his personal belongings." Chase replied as they headed off in the direction of the patient's home.

**Cameron and House**

"3134. Here we are." She said, pushing the door open for House. He waited for her to go through, and when she passed by him, she felt the faint warmth of his hand as he pressed it lightly against her lower back.

"Let's try a different approach than the usual. Let me talk first. Be the hot woman that you are and do whatever it is you do that makes us men weak in the knees." He whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her face. She nodded her agreement, hoping he'd fare better than she had.

2 hours later, they came out with no more than what they went in with. "What next?" She asked as they exited the room.

"Lunch. I'm starved." He retorted as he limped towards the elevator. She followed mutely behind. "Send a page to everyone to reconvene at 3." He instructed Cameron as they found the lunch room.

She quickly sent the page and followed behind him in line. "You guys have Ruben's here? Excellent." He said as one was placed on his tray and he moved further down the line. She grabbed a salad and an apple and approached the register, fumbling for her wallet.

"Don't worry about it Miss. He covered you." The cafeteria lady reported, seeing her pulling out her wallet and gesturing to House who was already heading to a table.

"He paid? He never pays…" She said to herself as she quickly followed him to the selected table.

**Bailey and Burke**

"How're the tests going?" She questioned as she jotted some notes in his chart. House had her checking him every 15 minutes, making it nearly impossible to deal with other patients. He wanted the man constantly monitored.

"I have a feeling they'll be no different than the first round, but they're coming along. It's a good thing we're doing them." Burke answered.

"How is it a good thing if you don't believe the results will change?" She asked, snapping the chart shut.

"It's good for us. It means we aren't the idiots he's hoping we are. It means we did our job correctly." He replied.

"Yeah, well it could mean death for the patient." Bailey retorted as she exited the room.

**Foreman and Derek**

"We've done every scan, every test, what else is there?" Foreman asked Derek as they sat back in their chairs in the lounge.

"Nothing. We wait. Check out the results. Rule out neuro and get me the hell off this case." Derek muttered.

"You really think it's going to be that simple?" Foreman questioned, sipping his soda and digging into the bag of chips in front of them.

"Wishful thinking. They won't let me off this case until he's better or he dies." Derek answered.

**Izzie and Wilson**

Izzie watched the older man intently. He had a gentle nature to him, an excellent bedside manner. He reminded her of herself. He'd run all the tests he could, done all the labwork, done several scans.

"Izzie, it's not cancer." He said finally, rubbing his hands up and down his face as he revealed the results to the young woman.

She didn't speak, just nodded her understanding. Matter of fact, she hadn't done much speaking since they'd started the tests.

Wilson observed her out of the corner of his eye. He'd managed to acquire the files on all the doctors on the case. He'd had to sweet talk a few nurses into running an errand for him so he could make copies, but he'd done it. He'd briefly scanned hers. She was seeing a patient. Some guy named Denny Duquette. He'd died a few months before. She'd only been back at the hospital for a little over a month. Truth be told, Wilson was hesitant to give up their files to his slightly insane colleague. He knew what would happen. He ran his hands over the files in his lap. He felt bad for these people. Their lives were about to be picked at, exposed, and blown apart by Greg House.

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	5. Never too Serious for Naughty Time

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Chapter 5: Never too Serious for Naughty Time

Wilson found his angst ridden colleague in his makeshift office, his feet propped on the desk, earbuds nestled in his ears, his head tilted back and his eyes closed. He was thinking.

The oncologist strode purposely towards House, slapping the stack of files down in front of the man, his hand remaining firmly on top of the pile.

House slowly opened on eye, then the other when he realized what had been delivered.

"Oh goodie. Reading material. Gimme." He demanded gleefully. Wilson's hand remained glued to the top of the stack. House shot him an impatient look.

"These people…. They have feelings House. I know that's a difficult concept for you to wrap that warped brain of yours around, but they do. And I don't see how digging through their personal lives is going to help this case." Wilson said, his tone firm and unyielding.

"Well, it's a good thing you aren't in charge then, huh? Everybody lies Jimmy. Everybody has secrets. You like to cheat on your wives. Foreman was in juvy, Cameron has a dead husband, Chase, well he's Australian. These 'people' you're so concerned about, have secrets too. They've done their share of lying. And I want to know what those lies and secrets are. Even you have to admit that once we all got everything out in the open we all worked better together. I think we should apply the same idea here. Plus, it'll be fun. Now back away from the files. Keep your hands where I can see them." House demanded. Wilson held his gaze for a long moment before removing his hand.

"Just do me a favor? Try not to hurt them. They aren't as strong as us." Wilson suggested as he left his boss in peace.

House grinned slightly as he grabbed the first file on the stack. "Meredith Grey…. Good start." He muttered to himself as he flipped it open.

Meredith and Chase had returned from Mr. Duncan's home with armfuls of possible evidence but nothing solid. They dumped their findings in a box House's office with a promise of being back for the 3 pm meeting before heading back out.

"Would you like to grab some lunch?" Chase asked as they exited House's office.

Before Meredith could even answer, two other people answered for her.

"No should would not." Came House and Derek's simultaneous response. Meredith was horrified and Chase was bright red.

"Chase, my office, now." House commanded. Chase glanced back at Meredith before nodding and following his boss's orders. House waved off Meredith and Derek.

"You aren't in charge of me, you know. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions." She reminded her counterpart as they strode towards the cafeteria.

"He was all over you." Derek protested, his words coming out in the form of a hiss.

"He was not. He asked me to lunch. Really, Derek, this isn't even your business. You're married, remember?" She retorted, shooting him a deadly look.

"I don't think Dr. Dandridge would like it." He told her, folding his arms across his chest.

"So you're going to snitch on me to my boyfriend, a man you hated not even 12 hours ago. Real mature Derek." She snapped before snatching a tray and starting down the line, leaving the older man standing alone.

"Was I not clear? I know I don't speak Australian or anything, but I thought the worlds 'don't bother her' were pretty universal and I'm pretty sure lunch falls under that umbrella." House spat at Chase as the young man followed his boss into the makeshift office.

"I wasn't-" Chase started, only to be cut off by House yet again.

"No more talking. Obviously it's something that gets you in trouble. If you want some fuzz that badly, why don't you hit on blondie? She's just coming off losing her patient boyfriend, I'm sure she could use a sympathetic shoulder…" House snarked as he plopped down in his chair.

"See, it's comments like that one that make me think I shouldn't have let you read their files." Wilson piped up as he strode into the room, two coffee cups in hand. He set one down in front of his friend.

"Oh relax Jimmy. I was just trying to prove a point." House replied, popping the lid off the coffee and taking a long pull of it.

"What point would that be? That you can be an ass no matter what part of the country you're in? I didn't think that one needed proving, that obviously goes without saying." Wilson shot back.

"Look who's been reading 'Sarcasm for Dummies'." House muttered, glancing at the clock. 2 pm. He waved Chase off to the lunchroom to eat before the meeting.

"Has anyone from Psych checked him out?" House asked after a moment.

Wilson shrugged, pulling out his copy of the file. "Doesn't look like it. It looks like no one thought it was necessary." He replied after a moment.

"Where's Cameron?" House asked suddenly, sitting up in his chair.

Wilson only sighed at the man's randomness. It didn't shock him, truth be told, not much

shocked him when it came to House.

"You saw her last." The oncologist pointed out, settling into the chairs across from the desk as he responded.

"Technicality." House returned with a wave of his hand, allowing his mind to briefly entertain some mildly naughty thoughts about his young immunologist.

He considered going out and looking for her, but it was much easier to just page her. Wilson watched with interested eyes as his colleague paged the young female doctor.

"What? I'm telling her to get a psych consult, not writing love letters." House defended, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Truth be told, the fact that Wilson didn't have to say anything and House would jump to the defense that quickly was enough proof for the oncologist.

He silently slipped out of the room, letting House return to his texting.

Cameron had been reviewing the patient's file in a small doctor's lounge when her phone vibrated, indicating a text message. She fished it out of her coat and flipped it open, finding a text from the last person she'd ever expected.

_Like the way your ass looks in the pants. Get a psych consult on the patient. Then meet me back in my office. We can play strip differential diagnosis._

She felt her cheeks redden as she read the smarmy text. She looked around, making sure it was empty before she responded. Normally, Cameron wasn't one for the dirty messages, but there was no way she wasn't going to have fun with this one.

She quickly typed her response back.

House had been sitting with his legs up on the desk, his head tipped back, deep in thought. His phone beeped, telling him he had an incoming message. He frowned at it. It was from Cameron. He hadn't expected a response. He flipped it open to read her response.

_Who says I'm not already naked in an on call room right now?_

House's mouth went dry. He pushed off the desk to stand and go in search of this room, but instead, pushed too hard and ended up flat on his back.

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	6. Never Bet Against A Brunette

I love them but Fox told me that they aren't for sale, no matter how much I offer or attempt to blackmail…

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Chapter 6: Never Bet Against a Brunette

Cameron appeared in House's office at 2:30. "I sent him down for a psych consult 10 minutes ago." She reported dutifully, keeping a smile at bay. Sometimes it was best to make him work for it.

House looked up from George O'Malley's file. "You saucy little thing, you. Standing there acting like you didn't send me a dirty text message." House teased. Cameron had the decency to look embarrassed. He smiled, his work was done.

He opened his mouth to comment again, but people started filing in for the requested 3 pm meeting. Cameron raised an eyebrow at her boss as she took a seat.

"Findings?" He asked, turning to Meredith and Chase.

"We brought back some of his personal belongings, but we didn't find anything that would be toxic or could cause any of his symptoms." Chase reported as he set down a box of Clark's personal things in front of House.

"Well since you're not the diagnostician, I'll be the judge of that." House retorted, pulling the box of stuff towards him. He began pulling various items out, inspecting them, then throwing them down.

After several minutes of digging and muttering curses to himself, he leaned up, propping his elbows on his knees. He turned to the oncologist and blondie.

"Cancer?" House asked, cocking his head at Wilson.

Izzie started to open her mouth but was startled into silence by a cane in her face. "I didn't ask you blondie. I have a feeling your judgement might be a tad bit impaired." He told her.

Wilson winced for the girl. Izzie started to protest but Wilson laid his hand on the young woman's arm and whispered in her ear. "It won't make a difference. You just have to let it go." He whispered.

"Whispering is not allowed in class. Is it cancer?" House demanded.

"No. It's not. There's no cancer of any kind. Move on." Wilson hissed.

"You two? Gimme his stuff." House commanded to Cristina and George. They silently handed him the white hospital bag containing his personal effects and watched the eccentric doctor tip the bag upside down and paw through his belongings like a crazed animal.

"And I'm guessing the other hospitals had nothing to report." House said, turning to Alex. He nodded the affirmative.

"So, really, all we have is a bunch of nothing. Great. Let's pack it in. Gang, we're going home." House said, gathering his group.

"Wait." Cameron said, her eyes scanning her pager which had just started vibrating.

"I'm assuming that's not your bedroom play toy, so what is it?" He asked impatiently.

"Pysch consult turned up something." She replied, her eyes meeting House's.

"That's why you want me – us, to stay? Cause the psychologist got him to cry? Hardly worth my time. Let's blow this joint." House scoffed, moving to his desk.

Cameron reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. "See this through. These people brought us out here because we're their only hope. Respect that and at least here what psych has to say." She hissed, her voice low with annoyance and anger.

Something in her eyes made him pause. She was fighting. His most loyal minion was fighting him. But it wasn't the fact that she was fighting that made him pause, it was the fact that he saw something there, something beyond just compassion (which was her normal motivator when it came to fighting her boss), something deeper. Maybe she wasn't the weakling he'd pinned her for.

She wanted this. She wanted him to see this through. He was notorious for quitting once things got boring. She needed him to prove he could do this.

He relented. "Fine. Get me the results. But you're presenting them. Only you, and only to me." He bargained.

"Why me? And why only to you? Doesn't everyone need to hear them?" She asked, confused.

"Not if they aren't worth anything. I'm in charge here, if the results are worth sharing, then we'll share. And you get to present since you're so insistent that we stay. Now go. All of you." He shooed them off.

Cameron was the last one out, gathering the last of her papers. "Cameron. Next time you text me you're naked in an on-call room, don't lie." He snarked, a mischevious smile perched on his lips.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he sidled right up to her, until she was a hair's breadth away. He placed one finger over her lips. "Ah ah Cameron, nobody likes a tease…" He chided before striding (if you could call it that) purposefully out of the room.

"I want that presentation in half an hour. If you're not back here, I'm booking the flights…" He called as the door slammed shut.

"CHASE! Stop making googly eyes at Dr. Grey and book our flights!" She heard him yell outside the door.

Her eyes went wide and she grabbed her papers and flew downstairs to psych.

Fifteen minutes later, she had her information. She had 2 symptoms. She wanted to kill herself. She let herself back into House's office, hoping to beat him back to his office. No luck. He was sitting at his desk, feet propped up, his hands folded in his lap, seemingly waiting for her.

"You're early." She mumbled quietly.

"You're always early. I took a chance. As usual, I was right. I win this bet. Now, tell me you have nothing so I can collect another 40 bucks from Wilson." He snarked.

Her jaw dropped. "You bet against me?" She asked incredulously.

"Old habits die hard." He shot back. "Now tell me what you didn't find." He pushed, using his cane to guide her to the board.

She sighed and picked up the pen. She looked at the tremendous board and sighed. _I can't believe I have to present him with these._ She inwardly cursed herself.

She uncapped the pen and scribbled the two symptoms up on the board.

She turned to her boss as he squinted at the board. "Excessive perspiration and bulging eyes? That's what you got? Those aren't psychological." He pointed out, standing up and making his way towards het.

"I know. The psychologist noticed it while she was interviewing him." She replied as her boss got closer and closer. She felt herself backing up.

"I know they aren't much-" She started. He clamped his hand over her mouth as she stood next to him.

"Shut up. I'm mourning." He told her, tapping his cane against the floor.

"Mourning…..?" She whispered as he finally moved his mouth.

"The loss of my money. Wilson was right. You came through." He replied, turning to her.

"Sorry?" She said, her statement ending with a question.

"You should be. Don't worry, you can pay me back in sexual favors. Now go, gather the others." He waved her off.

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	7. Alone Can Be Dangerous

You guys are freaking fabulous!

Not Mine.

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Chapter 7: Alone Can Be Dangerous

Everyone had gathered within 20 minutes, which was 19 minutes longer than House wanted to wait.

"God, what is with you people? You take forever." House commented flippantly, not lifting his eyes from his gameboy.

"We have other patients." Izzie shot back, equally flippant.

"Yes, you do. You in particular, are very dedicated to those patients, aren't you Dr. Stevens?" House snarked back.

"That is enough." Wilson protested, coming to the defense of the kindred spirit he'd found in the young intern.

House rolled his eyes at his friend's actions. "Christ, don't make me call your wife…" He muttered.

"House, get on with it." Derek suggested sternly.

"What? Uncomfortable talking about unhappy wives? You'd know all about that. Yours snuck in 5 minutes ago." House said, pointing his cane to the back of the room where Addison Montgomery Shepherd stood, unnoticed until now.

"Addison, what are you doing here?" Derek asked, turning to his wife.

She crooked an eyebrow at him. "Dr. House is a celebrity around here. I was curious. What are you going to do? Kick me out? Throw a tantrum? Oh wait, you've already beat me to it." She snapped, her voice laced with sarcasm and bitterness.

Chase watched the volatile couple with vapid interest. But what really caught his attention was his seat mate. Meredith had been sinking lower and lower into her chair since the marital spat had began.

"Are you ok?" He asked softly. Meredith didn't raise her eyes to the attractive young intensivist.

House watched his conference room/makeshift office go to pieces. He knew he should be stopping them, reminding them that they had a dying patient, a job to do, but this was all so much more interesting to him.

His bright blue eyes panned across the room. Foreman and Burke intensely discussing the meanings of the symptoms written on the board, Cristina trying to jump in. Alex's head tipped back against the wall, half asleep. Bailey standing in the corner, her arms crossed, unimpressed and nonplussed by the room's activities. The married couple arguing in back, the seemingly private and intense conversation going on between Izzie and Wilson, George subtly trying to listen in on the conversation between Chase and Meredith, Chase's probing into Meredith anxiety about the married couple fighting in back…His eyes caught Meredith Grey's as she finally lifted her head.

She was an interesting study. She was intensely intelligent, fiercely dedicated. She stood up for what she thought was right. When he'd asked her for 5 diseases, 5 possibilities, she'd given him 6. She wanted to be the best. She wanted to be her mother.

House was too busy zooming in on everyone else to notice he was being watched. Cameron watched him, voyeuristically, she knew he hated to be watched, hated having people stare at him. But the way he was watching Meredith, it made Cameron shiver just a bit. Cameron didn't know much about the young woman, just that she was incredibly intelligent, the brightest spot in the SGH Internship Program, and that her mother was Ellis Grey, and oh yeah, House respected her. That unnerved Cameron the most. The fact that he trusted a virtual stranger more than he trusted her.

House kept his eyes on Meredith, even after she'd turned her attention to Chase. He had deeply respected Ellis. He knew that the apple didn't fall from the tree. As much as Chase aggravated him, House knew he was one of the best. Some people attain great intelligence, others are just born with it. And Meredith Grey and Robert Chase were shining examples of that rare gift.

"Cameron, stop watching me and make these people behave." He commanded to the young woman who'd been watching him under her hooded eyes for several minutes.

She felt her cheeks get hot. She'd been caught. She briskly turned away from the man who made her blush and got everyone's attention.

"OK now that we got that out of the way…. These are the symptoms that Dr. Cameron brought me. Find me a disease. Now if you'll excuse me, it's quitting time. I'm going back to my hotel." House announced as he picked up his car keys and tossed them to Cameron. "You're driving me." He instructed as he made his way out of the room, everyone's eyes on his back.

Cameron turned her eyes to Wilson, hoping he'd have an answer. "Someone has to drive him so that we can have a way back to the hotel later." Wilson pointed out. She turned her gaze to Chase and Foreman. Neither of them made a move to volunteer. She sighed, grabbed her purse, and hurried after him.

"Race you to the car." He challenged as she caught up with him. He was rewarded with a rolling of her bright blue eyes.

They walked out to the SUV in silence. House approached the driver's side with Cameron pulling open the door for her. She didn't say anything, she knew he didn't want her to. So she kept her mouth shut and climbed in.

"Good work." He told her after a few moments of comfortable silence.

She glanced over at her seat mate. "Thank you." She replied quietly before turning her eyes to the road.

She pulled up to the hotel a few minutes later and he moved to get out. "Take this as you will, but I'm glad you came." He said softly. With that, he turned on his heel and headed to the hotel, as though they'd never spoken.

She didn't know what to make of the statement. It was very out of character for him and she found herself wondering what had possessed him to say something like that.

She made her way back to the hospital, his words echoing in his head. Leave it to him to leave her totally clueless.

She returned to the conference room to find Wilson at a table with a couple of books in front of him.

"He told me he's glad I'm here." She reported numbly as she sat down.

The oncologist looked up from his research. "He's glad you're here?" He repeated.

She nodded.

"Wow. That's like, 'I love you' in House-speak." Wilson muttered.

Cameron jerked her head to the oncologist when he spoke those words.

"No, no, that's not what I mean. I just mean that it's a big deal that he said that, that's all. Don't worry." He assured her, mentally kicking himself for his choice of words.

They resumed their reading for a few minutes before Wilson piped up again. "I don't need a ride back. I'm having dinner with Izzie." He told her.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "She's a sweet girl, she's only been back in the program a little while, she lost her fiancé. I'm just being nice. She's too young for me Cameron. It's friendly. That's all." He assured her.

She nodded her head, satisfied with his answer.

DEREK/MEREDITH/CHASE

Meredith took off for her favorite spot in the research lab when she was joined by Derek. "Heard you and the vet broke it off." He commented.

She rolled her eyes. "Addison told you?" She asked, not even bothering to think anyone

else would've known or told him.

"She and Dr. Dandridge are friends. Like you and I. They tell each other things." He told her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure if we qualify as friends but I have work to do." She told him with a small smile. Meredith had retreated to the research department and was sitting on the floor, piles of books around her.

"So this is the cool hang out at Seattle Grace?" A distinctly Australian accent questioned from above her.

"Not exactly. At least, not until they start serving alcohol." Meredith responded with a smile as Chase thumbed through the collection of books.

"Pretty impressive for a hospital." He remarked, selecting a few off the shelf and casually settling himself down next to her.

"We're second in the country for our intern program." She hit back, a smile playing on her face.

"Hmm, yes you are…Now, who's number one again? They always slip my mind. Some little school on the east coast, New Jersey I think… Oh that's right! Princeton Plainsboro TEACHING Hospital." He mocked, emphasizing the third word in the hospital title.

"Cute." She zipped back, returning her nose to her book.

"So you're the bright star here. I could see that. Bloodlines, beauty, personality. Easy to see why you're the one to beat." He complimented, keeping it casual, hoping it wouldn't send the wrong message.

Lucky for him, it didn't. "I don't really like being the star though. The only reason is because my mother is Ellis Grey. I'm sure you know what its like to follow in family footsteps." She told him, marking her page in the book and turning slightly to speak with her floor mate.

"I can relate. It's not exactly what it's cracked up to be, especially when the parents are as successful as ours. It's hard, constantly being compared to them, knowing you'll probably never be as good as them, or even if we are as good, no one else will think so." Chase continued.

Meredith was really beginning to enjoy the breath of fresh air Chase was offering. She smiled and started to reply but was cut off.

"Meredith, where are you with the research?" Derek questioned, coming around the corner.

The tension between them was palpable. Chase could tell just by their actions that they weren't just co-workers.

"I'm going to get going." Chase told Meredith and prepared to stand.

"No, don't. You're fine. He's only here to snoop. Here's what you want. Now, I'm working, can I get back to it please?" She asked, turning her attention to Derek.

He had nothing, no other excuse. He nodded briskly and turned on his heel and stalked off.

Chase turned back to Meredith. _I can't believe I'm actually nervous about this._ "Are you off this evening?" Chase asked, gearing up for the follow up question if her answer was yes.

As luck would have it, her response was yes. "Would you like to have dinner with me?" He questioned, expecting her to say no, in light of the obvious tension between her and Derek.

"I'd love to." She agreed, a genuine smile on her face. _Hey, nothing wrong with having dinner with a cute Australian!_ They quickly exchanged information and agreed to leave from the hospital.

Twenty minutes later he ran into Cameron. "Hey I don't need a ride. I've got plans with Meredith." He called as he passed her on the way to the bathroom.

_God, at this rate I'm going to be all by myself tonight…With House… No, wait, I'm sure he's found himself a stripper by this point._

Sure enough, as 5 pm rolled around, she was strolling out to the parking garage when Forman caught up with her. "So what's your excuse?" She questioned, turning to him.

"I'm going to stay here for awhile. Shepherd's got a couple cases he wants me to look at. I may have you bring a spare set of clothes for me tomorrow if that's OK?" He asked. She nodded and climbed in.

She pulled up to the hotel at almost 5:30. She grabbed her stuff and made her way to the elevator. She got off at their floor and trudged to the suite. She stuck her key in the door and swung it open.

There, sitting on the couch, his feet up on the table, was House.

"What're you doing here?" She asked.

"Watching TV. You know, this city has some great programming, much better than Jersey. Maybe we should move out here." He suggested sarcastically.

"I mean, why are you here?" She asked as she dropped her stuff just inside the door of her bedroom.

He shrugged. "Why not? I've got booze and TV. What else do I need? Oh, by the way, my hooker's showing up in 20, make yourself scarce… That is, unless, you want to join us?" He suggested, his voice full of sarcasm. He'd never admit that the reason he was here was because Wilson called and said she'd be home alone. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to spend a little 'alone' time with Cameron…

"Looks like it's just you, me and the stripper then." Cameron said, flopping down on the couch, reaching over him to grab the takeout menu.

He grabbed her arm as she brushed against him. Their faces were inches apart. "Or I could just cancel the stripper…." He whispered softly, their lips getting closer….

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	8. The Leg Bone's Connected to the Hip Bone

Ok so I'm working on this one at the moment because one of my other TV shows is upsetting me a little bit… cough CSI NY cough

So I'm breaking them into chapters. The House/Cam is this chapter. Next will be Wilson/Izzie. Then Chase/Meredith.

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Chapter 8: The Leg Bone's Connected to the Hip Bone…

Cameron visibly swallowed, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. Evidently she had because his eyes had flicked briefly to her throat as she struggled to come up with the oxygen to respond.

_Damn youth! Damn youth for making women like this! Damn the world for making Allison Cameron my karma._

"I… We shouldn't…What about…?" She fumbled, exhaling an aggravated sigh as she struggled to form a sentence.

"Unless you come with something more intelligent to say than that, I'm going to take matters into my own hands." He warned softly. His brain was screaming at him, telling him this was a terrible idea, that he shouldn't be seriously entertaining the idea of kissing his subordinate. However, there were a few other body parts that were weighing in…

His hands ached to touch her, to feel her soft skin under his slightly calloused hands, to pin her body to his, hold her there, make her feel what he felt.

His hips…. Well, that particular desire spoke for itself.

His ears wanted to hear her do that soft little sigh she did from time to time.

His lips wanted to taste her, to feel her tongue playing naughty little games with his, they wanted to suck softly at the white skin on her neck…

His body was a walking, OK limping, betrayal.

"Damn it Cameron." He whispered. And without another second of hesitation, he moved in.

His lips were on hers before she could even react to his last words. She slowly closed her eyes and stopped thinking. _Just for once in your life, feel._ She told herself before completely giving in.

He was half surprised she didn't push him away or at least stop him. But she didn't. Instead she was allowing him… No, she wasn't just allowing him, she was… She was participating.

He felt his body humming with arousal. He always felt a little on edge when it came to her, but man, she was doing things to him right now, he just couldn't believe. _If this is what happens when all she does is kiss me, what happens if we… God…_

Cameron felt herself slowly turning to goo on the inside. She'd admit, there had been several times where she'd thought about what it was like to kiss him… But never, ever, had it been _this good._ His tongue was softly probing her lips, asking for entrance. If she let him, this little make out session would continue, there would be no going back. _Fuck it._ She made the call. She slowly parted her lips to let him in.

His hand had long since abandoned the remote and both of his hands had alternated tangling in her hair and gripping her waist to bring her closer. He felt her lips part at the feel of his tongue and his hands instantly gripped her hips tighter. He knew what it meant. _She wants to keep going._

_Is this really happening?!? Am I actually… Oh God, he feels amazing._

He reluctantly pulled away after several more heart stopping minutes of swapping spit. His blue eyes met hers. "This is where I'm supposed to say something, isn't it?" He muttered, his lips making their way down her face, focusing on her lips… They were slightly swollen and a little red from the rough stubble on his cheek.

"Or I could say something…" She ventured after several deafeningly quiet moments.

He shook his head in disagreement. "No, that won't work. It should come from me." He muttered, lost in his thoughts.

A delighted smile crossed her face._ He really wants to be the one to talk about it…_

"If I let you do the talking, I'll be here all night waiting for you to string two thoughts into one coherent sentence." He continued, her effervescent smile obviously lost on him.

She sat patiently and waited for him to say something, to acknowledge what had just gone on between the two of them.

He rubbed his hand through his hair and sighed. She looked so naïve, so innocent, just sitting there, wide eyed, waiting for him to come up with something sweet and prolific.

"Ok so I'm not good at this. So I think, maybe, we should sit here, order food and talk about it later, when I've had more time to process." He suggested after a moment.

"I thought-" She started to interrupt, sitting up, only to be stopped by his hand on her shoulder and a stern look.

"You want me to talk? Fine. I will but not now. You push this Cameron, and I'll say things I don't mean and things I don't want to. For now, order dinner and sit next to me." He told her, his voice solid and unwavering.

She knew when concede. She swallowed her pride and her pain and did as she was asked.

They silently waited for their food to arrive. Burgers and fries. Cameron answered the knock at the door without House even having to so much as grunt.

She tipped him and took the food to the counter. She quickly removed all signs of pickles, added ketchup to his fries and added extra ice to his coke.

_She's good… I didn't know she knew that much. The pickles, sure, even Foreman could've done that. But the ketchup and the coke… Maybe she's stalking me…_

She was acutely aware of his eyes following her swift movements. She knew when he watched someone or something in this way, it fascinated him. _I fascinate him…_ She tried with every muscle in her face to keep the grin at bay.

_God, look at her. She's like a puppy. She knows the rules but it's taking everything to stop herself… Don't smile Cam… Don't give me that smile… Please…_

He got his wish. She reined her emotions in and set his food in front of him. House, grateful for the distraction, attacked his food, his eyes on the TV the whole time.

She knew better than to expect a thank you. Just the fact that he hadn't snapped at her about the food was as close to a thank you as she'd get. And, though it had taken her awhile, she was OK with that.

They finished their dinner and movie in silence. The movie ended around midnight. "We should go to bed. We have to be there early tomorrow." Cameron said as she collected their plates and delivered them to the kitchen.

He watched her, the movements so natural, he could almost see her in his apartment, doing the same kind of thing, having the same kind of conversation. _Stop, you aren't at home. You aren't even on the same side of the country. It's different here. What happens here, stays here._

He waited while she dumped their dishes in the sink. He was leaning against the wall by the door to her room. She joined him there after a few moments.

"Well, good night House. I'll see you in the morning." She said, reaching for the door handle, not really expecting anything.

He was quick. He grabbed her wrist with one hand, and her face with the other. He kissed her, quickly, smoothly, softly. It was a good night kiss. A real good night kiss.

Just as soon as it had started, it was over. It wasn't intended to be the kind of kiss that was passionate or hungry… It was simple. It said 'Good night, sleep well and I want to see you soon.' And really, that was all either of them wanted.

Now if only they could tell each other that…

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	9. Opening Up

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Chapter 9: Opening Up

Izzie strode across the parking lot to Joe's to meet Dr. Wilson… James. She'd be lying if she said there wasn't something about him that wasn't appealing. He was like her. He understood her pain. They sat down at the bar and ordered. Wilson turned to her.

"I hear you haven't been back at the hospital very long." Wilson opened, shooting her a sidelong glance.

She toyed with her glass. "Not since Denny…My fiancé, died. I've only been back about two weeks." She replied dully.

He nodded. "I'm sorry about House. Sometimes he just sort of goes off half cocked. Check that, he goes off half cocked all the time." He apologized.

"It's OK. I've taken plenty of shots already for being the doctor who broke the rules and fell for a patient." She told him, her voice soft and weary.

"It's not OK. And they shouldn't take shots at you. You fell in love. Love doesn't know jobs or faces or rules. Love is an emotion. Love is a feeling. One you really can't stop. It's a train. Get in its way and it'll run you down." Wilson told her, his voice low and quiet, his eyes staring off into the distance.

For the first time in a long time, Izzie started to relax. "Wise words. Been married before?" She asked, hoping to lighten the mood of the conversation.

"3 times." He said with a chuckle as he swallowed a drink of his wine.

She smiled. "So either very wise or very stupid." She assessed, offering him a small smile.

He glanced over at her. She wasn't just a dumb blonde. Not that he'd ever thought she was but he was glad to see she was more observant than people seemed to give her credit for.

He arched an eye brow at her. "Touche. A little bit of both I suppose. I've had… fidelity problems." He muttered, not enjoying rehashing his past.

"Your fidelity or hers?" Izzie questioned as she took another drink.

"Both, but mostly mine. More than once." He said with a sigh and a slight chuckle.

"How did you do it? Didn't you feel bad for hurting them?" She asked. He glanced over at her. She was being genuine.

"Izzie, you can live with anything if you don't think about it too much." He replied, his words full of the knowledge he'd only received because of experience.

"I guess I can understand that. Love makes you do crazy things I guess." She said, her voice quiet and full of understanding.

"It's not always love. Sometimes it's just because they're there… You know how it is in hospitals. It's always easier to fall for and be with people you work with. You're constantly around them, forever seeing them. It's almost difficult not to fall for the people you work with." He explained.

"Is that why your marriages failed? Too easy to fall for someone at work?" Izzie asked.

He smiled. "I wish I could say it was as simple as that. I could've been a better husband, I didn't have to cheat. I suppose deep down I knew I didn't care enough. On some level, I knew my marriages weren't going to last." He explained.

"Kind of pessimistic, don't you think?" She questioned as she tipped a bit more wine into her mouth.

"Reality. It'll do that to you if you aren't careful. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but this situation, it'll help you in the end. It teaches you." He told her as he got another glass of wine.

"Well right now, all it does is hurt." She shot back, her voice soft.

"It's going to. But you'll be better for it. Now you know that no matter how much you love someone, they can always be taken away from you." He reasoned.

"Talk about learning things the hard way." She replied, playing with her finger nails.

"Talk to House. He knows all about learning things the hard way." Wilson deadpanned.

"Him? What's his deal anyways?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"He was hurt. A long time ago. He was, in his mind, betrayed by the woman he loved. That betrayal was what led to his needing the cane. And now, he trusts hardly anyone, figures it's easier to keep out everyone than trust just one person." He explained.

"I don't know. Seems like he's close to Dr. Cameron." She mused, sipping her wine.

"Cameron… That's nothing if not complicated. She's the first woman he's even considered trusting, in over 5 years. He's in a constant struggle with himself as to his feelings for her and if he should trust her or not. We don't talk about that with either of them. They'll never get anywhere near a relationship if people are hounding them about it." Wilson explained.

"Sounds like you guys have plenty of relationship problems in your own hospital though." He continued.

She smiled in spite of herself. "Like you said, it's too easy to fall for the people you work with, especially in a hospital setting. Especially when you're dealing with interns." She told him.

She was quiet for a long moment. He knew it was hard for her. She was putting up a brave front. "I just feel trapped sometimes. My service, the hospital, even Seattle itself, I feel like it's one huge trap." She muttered.

Wilson took this in. He could see how she'd feel like that. "Your friends are here. Don't you have family here?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I have my friends, but they're interns, so they're busy. They're busy with their own lives. And the only family I have is my mother and we don't speak much." She explained softly.

An idea was forming in his mind. _Should I broach it? Is it worth it? Will she even take the offer seriously?_

He cleared his throat and took a drink of his wine. "What would you say to finishing your internship at PPTH?" He asked.

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	10. Decisions Decisions

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Chapter 10: Decisions Decisions

Izzie nearly choked on her wine. _Move to New Jersey??! Seriously?!_ "Seriously?" She choked out after a moment.

Wilson nodded his head. "I have a vacancy right now in my internship program for oncology, that is, unless you don't want to." He told her.

She shook her head. "No, please don't take it that way. I just need time to think about it, that's all. You just took me by surprise, that's all." She reassured him.

"Understandable. And don't worry about getting in, we can handle that. We're here for a bit longer I suppose, but I'll probably need an answer by the time we leave." He replied.

"OK. I'll be sure to have one by then." She said, and they both finished their drinks. Wilson grabbed the check not even 2 seconds after it hit the table. She made a move to protest.

"Don't. Let me pay. Let me do this." He asked, holding her brown eyes with his own.

At that moment, something passed between them. Both felt it, neither was sure what to do with it or what it meant. All that mattered was they felt it.

Meredith had changed into her khaki pants and white button down shirt that she'd worn in and was waiting for Chase in front of the hospital. She was more nervous than she was willing to admit. She hated feeling like this. _It's not even a date… It's dinner… Dinner with a very attractive doctor with a hot accent. _ She was startled out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder.

"Meredith, are you ready?" Dr. Chase asked softly. He was wearing dark khaki pants and a black button down. He looked very… edible.

She nodded and they made their way to her car. The conversation on the way to the restaurant was easy and void of awkward pauses.

The conversation between Meredith and Chase flowed well all throughout dinner, that is, until Chase questioned her about Dr. Shepherd.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" He asked, after swallowing a sip of wine.

She nodded as she twirled pasta onto her fork. "What's going on with you and Dr. Shepard? Are you two together?" Chase questioned, his blue eyes meeting hers.

She quickly averted her eyes. "Not exactly…We were…. Awhile ago." She replied, her answer vague, her voice distant.

"You're not anymore?" He clarified, slightly bewildered by her sudden change in mood.

"No. His wife showing up sort of ruined the relationship." She explained dryly.

Chase took a slow sip of his wine, debating the situation and how to proceed. "Well, that'll do it." He muttered in response, unsure of what else he should say. He felt awful for her. It was obvious that she'd been through hell and back… It takes a lot to make it through something like that, and as relatively unscathed as she appeared, well… that was an even bigger feat.

"Don't do that." She told him softly.

He looked up at her, his blue eyes slightly confused. "Do what?" He questioned.

"That thing where you feel bad for me. I can see it in your eyes. Don't feel bad for me." She commanded, her voice soft but firm.

He was at a bit of a loss for words, he wasn't used to anybody talking to him like that, especially not women. Normally he was pretty good with women, could sweet talk his way into any woman's bed. But he had a distinct feeling that wasn't going to be the case with this one, nor did he want it to be, he was finding.

"OK, so I won't feel bad for you. But make me understand." He suggested, taking a bite of his dinner, keeping his eyes focused on hers.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Make you understand what?" She questioned, obviously not sure of what he was requesting.

He chewed thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I don't understand this 'situation' you've got going on here." He said, gesturing with his fork as he swallowed his food.

She remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate on his lack of understanding.

"You, Meredith Grey, are a prodigy, and that I get. You could intern anywhere, specialize in any service, in any hospital in the country, just on your last name alone. But throw in the fact that you've got the talent to back it up, not to mention the looks to go along with it all, and you're nearly perfect. Why here? Why Seattle Grace? More importantly, why Derek Shepherd?" He questioned.

She wasn't sure what to say. He'd made a good point, and while it was one that she was acutely aware of, no one had ever called her on it, until now.

When she didn't speak up, he forged on. "You could be anywhere, all you have to do is say it and it'll happen. Even now as an intern, all it would take is you saying the words and people would make it happen. I don't know a hospital out there that wouldn't jump at the chance to have you, intern or otherwise. And come to think of it, I don't know a man who wouldn't jump at the chance to have you." He went on, not at all concerned with the way his words sounded, what sort of message he was conveying. Perhaps it was because he didn't care, or perhaps it was because he wanted her to get that message.

She swallowed hard, processing his words. He'd been genuine, honest. She hadn't detected an ounce of charm or flirtatiousness in his voice. He was just telling it like it was. But he hadn't been shy in acknowledging her beauty, intelligence… In fact, it almost sounded like he… like he sort of liked her.

"Would you?" She ventured, shocked at her bold question, and almost instantly unsure of whether or not she should have asked it.

He stilled his hand, which currently held a fork full of pasta. "Would I what?" He asked, meeting her eyes, knowing what she was asking, yet forcing her to clarify herself.

"Jump at the chance to have me?" She finished, her voice unsteady as she steeled herself for the rejection words.

_Way to go Chase._

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	11. No I Will Not Sleep With You

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Chapter 12: No I Will Not Sleep With You

Chase closed his eyes, inwardly chiding himself for not seeing that coming when he'd lavished her with compliments moments earlier.

Meredith jumped in before he could form the appropriate words. "It's ok… You know, it's OK. I shouldn't have asked that….You don't have to say anything." She told him, her voice straining to remain steady.

He raised his eyes to her face. She was smiling, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. It was quite obvious she was forcing it, trying to give him an out. As soon as he met her gaze, she dropped hers to her plate, busying herself with her food.

"Yes." He replied softly, knowing it best to just answer her, and answer her honestly.

She looked up, startled at what he'd just said. "You don't have to say that." She said quietly.

_She really does think I wouldn't jump at the chance to be with a woman like her…_

"Robert… Really, it's not like I expect anything from you. You live across the country… You don't seem to be looking for anything… Plus, Dr. Cameron… You guys have a past, or something, don't you?" She questioned.

He was a taken aback at her words. He hadn't encountered a woman like her before. She wasn't far off the mark in her assessment of him not wanting a relationship. At least to a certain degree.

Truth be told, lately, the idea of a relationship hadn't been a total turn off. He was beginning to like the idea of having someone else there… A constant in his life. Someone to come home to. Someone who understood him.

"I'm sorry. This is all probably way too much. We aren't dating, or even kissing-" She started, feeling incredibly stupid all of a sudden. But her thoughts ceased to exist when she felt his lips hit hers. She was so busy freaking out, she hadn't even seen him lean across the table to plant it on her.

He wasn't entirely sure of why he did it… Maybe it was because she understood him. Maybe it was because he made her nervous. Maybe it was because he was sort of… starting to fall for her. Whatever the reason, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was he was kissing her.

A moment later, he pulled back, his eyes meeting hers almost instantly. He saw a mixture of many emotions pooled there. He felt compelled to say something, to explain. But he couldn't find the words.

The rest of their meal was finished in silence, save for the words spoken to the waiter. Both were trying to come up with something, anything, to explain their actions, their words…

Finally, they reached her car and he laid a hand on her arm just as she was preparing to get in.

"If I crossed a line…." He started, he now being the one who felt incredibly stupid.

"NO! No… In fact, just to show you how much of a line you didn't cross, I'm not going to ask if you'd like to come over tonight." She said and promptly turned white. _I… That… I didn't… That wasn't what I meant to say!!!_

She went from liquid paper white to a deep red. But he did nothing except smile at her. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment." He replied, taking a chance and leaning down, brushing a quick kiss to her cheek before climbing in her car.

The drive to his hotel was quick, all too soon they were sitting outside. "I had a really… A really great time with you. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a girl and saying what I did…" Meredith started.

"Don't. You were honest with me, up front. And I haven't had that in a long time. Really, I should be thanking you for this evening. Good night Meredith." He whispered. He leaned in and pressed one last kiss to her lips before exiting the car and disappearing into the hotel.

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	12. ChChChanges

I do not own them.

I own the plot.

Don't steal my plot.

Here we go… 12!

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Chapter 12: Ch-Ch- Changes

House was feeling restless. It was late and sleep wasn't planning to visit him any time soon, that was becoming painfully obvious. His thoughts turned to Cameron in times like this.

The evening had gone well… In fact, it had gone better than he'd expected. Not that he'd had any expectations, but somehow, in the back of his mind, he'd concocted various situations involving him and Cameron and never had they gone like that.

She wasn't exactly what she appeared to be, or what he thought she was, for that matter. He found himself constantly surprised by her actions, her words. Maybe she wasn't the goody goody he'd originally pegged her for.

He hated to admit it, but he might have underestimated her. This was the last thought he had before finally drifting off to sleep.

Cameron had been tossing and turning since she'd climbed into bed.

She flipped on her back and sighed loudly. _Like I'm ever going to get any sleep after all of that._ Her mind mocked her, allowing her to be sleepy but not shutting off at the appointed time.

She kept replaying the night's events over and over in her head, in slow motion. What did it all mean? Would things be different tomorrow? Would they be different when they got back to PPTH? She pinched the bridge of her nose, willing her brain to stop for just a moment.

_Take it as it comes Allison. _She chided herself, knowing that she couldn't ever ask House those questions because he'd just back away, actually he'd run away.

She knew her boss well enough to know how he'd be handling this. He'd be nonchalant, off handed, maybe even pretend the whole night had never happened. _The best thing to do is to act exactly as he would._

Satisfied with her conclusion, she turned over and finally fell into a light sleep.

Both of them were out before Chase and Wilson returned to the hotel, though House was roused when Wilson attempted to sneak into bed.

"Didn't spend the night at blondie's?" House mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

Wilson rolled his eyes despite the darkness. _Some things never change._ "It was dinner House. And I offered her a position." He finished, knowing he'd regret uttering the words the minute they were out of his mouth.

House was wide awake at this revelation. "What kind of position? I didn't know you got down with the kink." House accused, turning on his side.

"In Oncology. At Princeton. She seems to be desperate for a change of scene, a change in life, and she seemed interested in a change of service." Wilson argued as he climbed into his bed.

"Sure, well I'll be sure to congratulate her on being your new fiancé-prodigy, tomorrow." House snarked before closing his eyes in a vain attempt to catch a few more hours of sleep.

But Wilson wasn't done. He wasn't normally one to sink to House's level, but in this instance, he couldn't resist.

"Saw Chase on the way in. He apparently had dinner with Meredith Grey." Wilson commented, his tone casual.

He heard a slight change in House's breathing. He may have been pretending to be asleep but Wilson knew he'd heard every word.

After several moments, House spoke 5 words. "I'll deal with him tomorrow." And that was the end of the conversation.

Cameron was roused from her bed at 4:30 by someone rapping at her door. She stumbled out of bed, yanking on loose fitting yoga pants as she made her way to the door, flipping on a lamp as she walked by.

She threw it open to find House on the other side. "It's 2:30 in the morning. We don't have to be up for at least another 3 hours. What do you want?" She whispered, her eyes squinty with sleep.

He took a moment to take her in. Her hair was loose and slightly mussed from sleep. She wore black yoga pants and a white tank top. He let his eyes travel her figure once before returning to her face.

"Wilson took up a new habit tonight. Snoring." He whined as he pushed his way into the room.

She sighed, closing the door behind him. "What am I supposed to do about that?" She asked wearily, accepting that she wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep anytime soon.

"Nothing." He said. She took in his appearance. Black pajama pants and a white t-shirt. His hair was mussed from the obvious tossing and turning he'd been doing.

She watched as he limped over to her bed, sat down, pulled the covers back and climbed in.

"What exactly are you doing?" She asked, hoping to god that the scene before her wasn't actually happening.

"Going to bed. I'm tired and Wilson's keeping me up. Shhh." He muttered, closing his bright blue eyes.

She strode over to the side of the bed she'd been occupying only moments before, her hands planted on her hips.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" She hissed.

He opened one eye and found himself face to well… pelvic region. He opened the other eye and sent her a slightly lecherous look before reaching behind him and patting the bed next to him.

Her mouth dropped open at the suggestion. She quickly yanked her jaw back into place and swiftly stripped the comforter off him and strode out of the room, intending to sleep in the bed House had vacated.

15 minutes later, she was thisclose to suffocating Wilson with a pillow. Once again, she picked up her comforter and headed to the living room, thinking Foreman was still at the hospital and that she could sleep on his pullout couch. No luck, he must've snuck in when no one heard because he was out cold on his fold out couch. She sighed, her eyes traveling to the door of the room that used to be hers.

She silently re-entered the room and made her way over to the loveseat in the corner of the room. _I can't believe he kicked me out of my own bed._ She stripped her yoga pants off, trading them for a pair of shorts and laid down.

"They always come back for more…." Came his sleep filled voice from the bed.

She sighed and turned over in a vain attempt to find a comfortable position.

A few hours later, House turned over in bed, his eyes slowly opening against the morning sun coming in through the window.

His eyes focused on a sleeping form on the loveseat. It was Cameron. She was on her side, facing away from him. Her covers had slipped since she'd fallen asleep. She'd traded her pants for shorts at some point and he was rewarded with a clear shot from her ass to her feet. Her hair was everywhere, covering her face and draping around her shoulders. He hadn't realized it was so long. She rarely wore it down anymore.

_Time to wake up the princess._ He grabbed his cane and stood, hobbling over to her. He reached down and twirled his finger around a lock of her hair and tugged ever so lightly.

"Hey Rapunzel. Time to wake up." He said, his voice low as he attempted not to snap at her first thing.

She turned over, stretching in the process. Her eyes slowly opened as she stretched, shooting House a dirty look at she massaged the crick in her neck.

"Thanks." She said, her voice barely showing an edge.

He raised an eyebrow. "What crawled up your butt?" He questioned as she stood and moved past him, headed towards the small closet that held her clothes.

"You. And you didn't crawl up my butt. You took my bed." She replied as she pulled out a pair of gray pants and a matching blazer.

"Don't wear that." He protested, hobbling over to the closet to stand next to her, now distracted by her wardrobe choices.

She wrinkled her forehead in protest. She started to open her mouth to say something but a well timed kiss shut her up.

He saw his opportunity and he went for it. She'd opened her mouth, presumably to tell him to butt out of her wardrobe and he chose to keep her quiet with a kiss. So it happened that he enjoyed it, that was merely a bonus.

She broke the kiss after a moment. With barely a glance in his direction, she turned back to her wardrobe.

This action shocked him and he made no move to hide that fact. He'd just kissed her, she'd kissed him back for that matter, and she didn't even have a response for it. She just went back to doing what she'd been doing. It was very unlike her and very like him….

He rolled his eyes at the realization. _Sometimes she's so transparent it's ridiculous._ He elbowed her out of the way and grabbed a pair of his favorite khaki pants and tossed them to her. She caught them. "Wear those. I like how your ass looks in them." He quipped, digging through her shirts. He grabbed a sky blue v-necked sweater and a white button down.

"Go for the preppy look, it'll be like I made out with a college student. Keep the hair down. We're leaving in half an hour. Don't forget to order breakfast." He instructed as he handed her the clothes. He turned towards the door and headed out, passing his hand along her ass for good measure.

She felt his hand and reached around to grab his wrist. Surprised, he turned to look at her, regarding her with a challenging stare, one that she normally would have backed down from.

"Don't start things you can't finish." She told him, holding a steady gaze on him, watching for his reaction.

He was able to school his face into remaining neutral, even if his brain had just nearly exploded.

He reached down and removed her hand from his wrist. "Can't isn't the word I'd go with." He told her before turning on his heel and leaving.

She stared at the clothes he'd dumped in her hands moments before. _Why is he picking out my clothes? Why am I putting them on?_ She peered at herself in the mirror. She definitely looked preppy. She ran a hand through her tousled hair, attempting to gain control over it. Finally, after a few minutes of trying, she just let it be.

She ordered room service from the bedroom phone and emerged to find the others getting ready as well.

Wilson looked tired but happy as he tightened the knot on his tie. "Morning Cam." He greeted as he slipped his feet into his shoes.

She smiled her greeting as she glanced over at Chase and Foreman who were both freshly showered, Chase was pulling on a dress shirt and Foreman was fixing his sweater. House was the only absent one.

She busied herself with making the coffee and collecting the food from room service. She heard the tell tale click of a door and without turning around, she knew he'd joined the group. She took a deep steadying breath and turned around.

Meredith found Izzie sitting at the kitchen table, coffee cup in hand, staring off into space.

"Izz?" Meredith mumbled, barely awake as she shuffled to the fridge in hopes of finding breakfast.

"What do you think of Jersey? I mean, is it like Boston? I hear the weather isn't too different from here." Izzie burst out after a few moments.

Meredith counted to 5 silently in her head before forging into the conversation. "You do realize that Jersey's on the other side of the country, right?" She asked, grabbing a banana and a bottle of water.

"Yeah. Right. Of course." Izzie answered, her eyes now gazing absently out the window.

"Why are you asking?" Meredith questioned as she sat down across from her now seemingly delusional friend.

"Oh, no reason really…. I might be moving there." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

The banana that was halfway sticking out of Meredith's mouth plopped to the table as Meredith's jaw fell open in shock.

"So, how was your date with the man from down under?" Izzie asked, changing the subject, her tone bright and curious.

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	13. Brains And A Body

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Chapter 13: Brains and a Body

Meredith shook her head. "Wait a second. You don't get to ask me about my date 5 seconds after you tell me you might be moving to Jersey." She protested.

Izzie sighed. "Dr. Wilson offered me a position, in their intern program, in oncology. All emotional issues aside, Princeton Plainsboro is one of the best intern programs in the country." Izzie pointed out.

Meredith poured herself another cup of coffee as she considered her words carefully.

"It is, but that's not why you'd go. You'd go to get away from all of this." Meredith said at last, her words carefully chosen.

"I think maybe I need to get away from all of this. It's becoming harder and harder to walk down those halls. Maybe a change of scenery is exactly what I need." Izzie responded.

Meredith couldn't argue that she had a point. Izzie had been having a tough time. But there was another factor to consider here.

"Iz, you aren't… Interested… In Dr. Wilson, are you?" Meredith asked tentatively, mentally wincing as she prepared for the possible blow out.

She was quiet for a long time. "I'm not entirely sure why you felt the need to ask that, so I'm not going to answer." Izzie said at last.

While not the response she'd been expecting, Meredith took it, knowing that pushing any further would almost certainly result in a nasty argument.

"So, are you going to tell me about your date or not?" Izzie asked, a smile plastered on her face now, the subject clearly changed and no longer subject to discussion.

As much as Meredith wanted to keep her evening with Chase to herself, she knew she'd be talking about it.

"It was… Good. Very good. We talked about Derek and me, life, relationships. It was refreshing, especially since he comes from the same kind of background as I do. I had a good time… Better than I thought I would." She admitted.

"So…. Are you going to see him again?" Izzie asked, her tone genuine now, as she was actually interested.

Meredith shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. But I'm sure they'll be leaving soon, so I guess I'm not really going to push it too far, he does live in Jersey after all." Meredith pointed out.

"Well, you did go to school out that way." Izzie pointed out.

"Izzie, I'm not moving out there for a guy I've gone out with once." Meredith told her.

"Well, it's not like you're getting anywhere with Derek." Izzie retorted, taking a bite out of her toast.

Meredith looked at her, her mouth slightly agape. "Thank you, Izzie. That's nice." Meredith said, her tone slightly incredulous. With that, she stood and left the kitchen, leaving Izzie feeling slightly guilty over her callous statement.

By 9 am, everyone was gathered in the conference room serving as House's office. House himself sat at the desk, spinning his cane. Most of the others were tossing around ideas for the possible cause of their two symptoms.

His sharp blue eyes landed on Meredith Grey. She was seated alone in the corner, her eyes unfocused, her gaze vacant. He shifted his eyes to Chase, who was alternating between arguing with Cameron and watching Meredith.

He rolled his eyes at the situation. It was purely high school. _He must've done something to her_. House concluded Chase must be the cause of Meredith's current state. And while he wasn't one to normally get all that involved in other people's lives, save for a well timed insult, he felt it was his responsibility to keep Chase from ruining the woman's potential.

He got up, deciding he needed some air, and strode over to the whiteboard where Cameron and Chase were consulting/arguing.

"Chase, outside, we need to talk." He barked at Chase. The younger man rolled his eyes but made his exit.

He turned his attention to Cameron, who was standing, arms crossed, staring at the whiteboard.

"We need to solve this case, now, I feel like I've entered the twilight zone." He whispered in her ear, his free hand curling briefly around her hip before following Chase out.

Cameron smiled softly and kept her soft blue eyes trained on him as she left.

This didn't go unnoticed by two other sets of blue eyes.

Derek watched the exchange between House and Cameron. It seemed so simple, so natural, so unaffected. It obviously didn't bother either of them that he was her boss. He flicked his gaze over to Meredith. He yearned for it to be that simple for them. _This is all just so wrong… _He knew he'd handled it 100 wrong, that he'd made the easy call instead of the right one. He needed to fix it… But could he? Would she let him? Was it too late?

Meredith, for all the emptiness she'd been experiencing, didn't miss one moment of the brief encounter between boss and employee. It was like neither of them even knew they were being watched, they were in their own world. Obviously it was a world where titles and not so ex-wives didn't exist. She wanted that with Derek… And as much as it pained her to admit, her previous evening's dinner with Chase proved that. She shifted her eyes slightly in Derek's direction, not expecting to be met by his own gaze.

They held each other's eyes, unable and unwilling to break eye contact. It was the closest they'd come to civility in the past few days and they both missed it. This… as small of a gesture as it was, it was so much easier than fighting each other… Fighting the feelings…

Derek gave her a small half smile, praying she'd return it. She did, after a brief moment. _That's good… I'm going to talk to her, sort this out, make things right, just as soon as this all clears up._ He made a promise to himself, and while she may not have known it, he made the promise to her too.

House met Chase in the hall a moment later. "What?" Chase asked, slightly irritated.

"See, this is why I didn't want to come here. This place is teeming with gossip and drama. Now you've gone and fallen for the intern. And we're leaving. And you can't take her. And she doesn't even want you." House told him, gesturing with his free hand.

Chase crossed his arms. "You don't know that." He snapped, standing his ground.

"Oh please… She wants Shepherd. And he wants her. C'mon, it's right there. I know you see it." House protested.

"He's married and she's mad at him." Chase argued.

"Doesn't matter. You don't even rank in her book right now, I'm sure she'll get around to telling you that before we leave, but hey, if you're so positive that she wants you, I'll accept your resignation now, or better yet, I'll go in there this instant and offer her a position. She'd be an asset to Princeton. So which one is it? Since you're so sure…." House trailed off.

Chase said nothing. He moved to the door and looked through the small pane of glass. She was watching Shepherd… No, they were watching each other… Gazing at each other… It looked like they'd forgotten the world existed.

Chase felt his heart drop a little. _Damn it…_ He cleared his throat and turned back to his boss. "Is that all?" He asked, meeting his boss's gaze.

House saw it the second he turned. He got the message. "Yep. Let's go." House said, a self satisfied smirk gracing his features.

House trailed after Chase, slowing to talk to Cameron. He stood behind her as she gazed into a medical book. A moment later, she picked up the marked and wrote two words on the board.

'Graves Disease'

He studied it a moment and turned to look at her. "Thank God I brought someone with brains and a body." He muttered.

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	14. Hate to Love, Need to Leave

THE STORY IS MINE BUT THE PEOPLE AREN'T. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME. I'M SAVING FOR A PUPPY.

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Chapter 14: Hate to Love, Need to Leave

House turned to the roomful of people. "Graves Disease." He announced blandly.

A moment of silence, followed by a collective sigh of relief echoed through the room.

"Foreman, start him on treatment, you and Shepherd can stay and observe for the 36 hours. Then, provided there are no complications, we head home." House instructed.

At the announcement of the impending exit of the diagnostic team, several minds went into overdrive.

Izzie, who'd been conversing with Cristina about the possible transfer, froze at the realization that she had less than 2 days to make up her mind. She glanced to her right and her brown eyes met another pair of equally dark brown eyes.

Wilson said nothing, just held her gaze. He'd given her the opportunity of a lifetime, and the ball was in her court. All he could do was hope that she'd decide to make the trek east.

Meredith hadn't seen Chase re-enter the room and her eyes searched for him. He was leaning against the wall in the back, his eyes closed, head resting on the wall behind him. She liked him. She liked that conversation was simple with him. He understood her, understood her place, her situation. And if things weren't so screwed up, maybe it would have worked out differently…

She got up, wiping her palms on her thighs, knowing she had to explain herself to him. Explain that, if things were different, if he didn't live so far away… She banished the thoughts from her head. None of that mattered because none of it could be helped.

She came to a stop beside him. "Hey." She whispered.

Chase's eyes popped open at the soft greeting. Meredith was standing next to him.

"Hey." He returned, changing his stance, his arms folded in front of himself.

"Um… Do you have a minute? I really think we need to talk." She told him softly, hoping he wouldn't make this any harder than it already was for her.

He nodded and escorted her outside.

Before she even opened her mouth, he laid a hand on her arm. "I know, you love him, that's OK. I understand." He said, his voice soft.

She couldn't meet his eyes. "I hate it, you know. I hate that I love him. It would be so much simpler to just find someone else and move on. Someone like you." She admitted.

"Someone like me… Or someone like the vet?" He asked. She said nothing.

"Meredith… That's the point. It doesn't matter. No one else matters… Not as long as that other person exists. Even though you hate that you love him, you still love him. He loves you too. It's OK. I'm happy for you. I hope you find happiness in all of this." He told her, his voice quiet and his words genuine.

She smiled. "Thank you. I hope so too. And the same goes for you too. Happiness for people like

"Here's hoping." He responded dryly, earning a giggle from her. He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

"I really enjoyed working with you, even if it infuriated your boss." She said into his hair.

It was his turn to chuckle. "Please, that's half the fun." He muttered.

She laughed as well and they broke apart. "Take care of yourself." He whispered, squeezing her hand.

She smiled, squeezed his hand in return, and made her exit, heading off to her rounds, a slightly happier woman thanks to a certain Australian.

He watched her leave, and was surprised to find not a feeling of emptiness, but one of endearment. She'd be just fine.

He turned to find Cameron behind him, laden with their various computer bags and reference books, smiling softly.

"What?" He asked.

"House says we're heading back to the hotel to pack, then I think a few of us are going out for drinks. Are you in?" She asked.

"Sure.Why not?" He replied, grabbing a couple of books and one of the computer bags she'd been carrying and hoisting it onto his shoulder.

"Don't you want to invite Meredith?" She questioned.

Before he even answered, another person exited the conference room behind them. He turned slightly to see Derek exit, looking for someone… Meredith.

"Mate, she went that way." Chase said, gesturing down the hall that Meredith had just gone down.

Derek stopped for a moment, seemingly surprised at the bearer of the information. He nodded his thanks and took off.

"That was nice." Cameron told him quietly after they'd gotten off the elevator on the ground level, heading to the car.

Chase shrugged. "Right thing to do. Believe it or not, I do have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong." He said teasingly, nudging her in the ribs.

She laughed at his declaration, punching him in the shoulder. "Sure you do." She teased back.

"Whenever you guys are done flirting, I need a ride, clothes to pack, toiletries to steal." House snarked from his place by the car, leaning against it, twirling his cane.

Cameron rolled her eyes at him as she yanked the keys out of her pocket and clicked open the doors. Chase climbed in back and House took the passenger seat.

"Nice work." House said after several minutes of silence and double checking Chase, to be sure the man was actually sleeping.

"Thank you." She replied dutifully, not really reading too much into his words.

He was quiet again for several moments. "When we get back to Jersey… Maybe you could come over, cook me dinner." He suggested.

She laughed because she knew that would be the case. He couldn't cook to save his life. And after the fiasco that was their last dinner date, eating in was the best option.

She nodded her head. "I can handle that." She responded, bracing herself for some sort of sarcastic remark, but none came.

"Good." Was all he said.

We're getting to the good stuff…. Next chapter we find out what happens with Izzie and Wilson… Coming to an end guys…

Thoughts?


	15. Making An Effort

Second Opinions

Chapter 15: Making An Effort

Wilson had wanted to speak with Izzie prior to going out that night, but it seemed as thought she'd beat a hasty retreat as soon as House had dismissed them.

_She's avoiding it._ He couldn't blame her. Everything she'd gone through, been going through…. He couldn't fault her for wanting more time.

He considered rescinding his offer, letting her off the hook, but, he truly felt she'd be an asset to PPTH, and he wouldn't rescind… If she didn't want to do it, he had a feeling she'd have no problem telling him so.

He strode to the cafeteria to pick up some lunch, not just yet ready to go back to the hotel and face House. He settled at a table in the far corner and pulled out the newspaper, and began flipping through, soon losing himself in the current events.

"James?" A tentative voice behind him asked.

He turned to see who was there. "Izzie. Hi." He greeted her with a smile, gesturing to the chair.

She sat down across from him, her coffee in hand. "I just wanted to tell you that I've been doing a lot of thinking… I think I have an answer, but can I wait until tonight? It's just that with so much happening..." She trailed off.

He smiled softly. "That's fine. We leave Friday. So you still have time. So what's the big plan for tonight? Where are we going?" He asked, giving her the change of subject she probably needed. And that was all it took and she was rattling off the details for the evening.

Meredith found Izzie in her bedroom, holding up different shirts against the pair of jeans she was wearing.

Meredith was already dressed, dark jeans and a pale blue v-neck. Her hair was curly and her make up was subtle.

"What are you going to do?" She questioned after several quiet moments.

"I think I'm going to wear a dress." Izzie responded, heading to the closet.

"Cute, but you know what I mean." Meredith retorted.

Izzie shrugged. "I told James I'd give him a response tonight. You'll find out then." She told her roommate as she slipped a blue dress over her head.

"You're putting a lot of energy into tonight." Meredith noted, letting Izzie have it her way, knowing she wouldn't get it out of her at this point anyways.

"Yeah she wants to impress cancer man." Cristina pronounced from the door.

Izzie rolled her eyes. "I just want to look nice." She retorted.

Cristina and Meredith exchanged looks. Izzie hadn't been going out much lately, not since Denny… So the fact that she was putting effort in, even if it was for a man, and might mean she was leaving, it was a good thing.

Cameron had changed into jeans and a white polo. Her face was free of makeup and her hair down around her shoulders. She was sitting at her laptop in the hotel suite booking their respective flights.

Chase was out cold on his pull out couch. Wilson was nowhere to be found. House was in his room, blaring The Who from his portable iPod stereo.

Her phone jingled to life a few moments later. It was Wilson, relaying information regarding the evening's events.

"OK. Wait, what about the others?" She asked.

"Who?" He questioned, confused.

"Um, the other doctors. Dr. Burke, Bailey, the chief, the interns…" She trailed off.

"Oh, Izzie's taking care of that." He replied, understanding her now.

"Ok, so Izzie's going to-" She started but the phone was rudely jerked from her hand.

She hadn't heard it, but at one point, the music had gone off and House had emerged, just in time to here her question Wilson's whereabouts.

"Where are you? Leave the blonde alone." He instructed.

He was quiet as he listened to Wilson's words.

He rolled his eyes. Cameron assumed Wilson had just relayed the information about the evening's festivities.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Bye." He snarked, before snapping the phone shut.

He didn't say anything to her as he made his way into the miniscule kitchen.

"You going to this little shindig tonight?" He questioned, without even looking at her.

"I am. It'll be fun. Haven't gotten to relax since we got here." She replied coolly. She knew he didn't want to go and would probably try to talk her into staying.

"So you actually want to go to this thing?" He asked, turning to face her, a bag of chips in hand. He leaned back against the counter, appraising her appearance for the first time.

She looked so young, fresh, very naïve. But her eyes gave her away. One look and you knew she'd seen a lot more life in her 28 years than most seen in a whole lifetime.

"I do. I never got to know any of the other doctors, and even though we're leaving tomorrow, I thought it might be nice to actually talk to them, have a conversation that didn't revolve around BP, blood tests, and kidney function." She explained.

"Yeah yeah. OK I get it. What time?" He grumbled.

"7:30. We're going to the Emerald City Bar. And-" She started but he cut her off, his hand over her mouth.

"Details aren't required. All I needed was the time. Oh, and you're driving." He told before he limped off to his room.

She smiled, then moved towards her room, tapping Chase to inform him they would be leaving at 7.

She enjoyed her shower, long and hot. She hadn't gotten a really good one since they'd arrived. After stepping out and drying her hair, she moved to her clothing selections.

After some debate, she pulled on her clingy red sweater and her favorite pair of low slung jeans, and black boots. She left her hair curly for once, applying a little make-up. She glanced at the clock. 6:55. She was good.

House absolutely hated that he was giving thought to his wardrobe. Well, more thought than normal.

Finally, he chose a black Doors shirt with a white jacket and jeans. He shoved his feet into his shoes a few moments later. _The sex better be worth this._ He thought as he ran a hand through his hair and actually applied two small drops of cologne.

He grabbed his cane, threw open the door and came face to face with Cameron, who had just stepped out of her own room.

She turned to just in time to catch him raking his eyes over her, from head to toe. He quickly glanced around the room.

"Where's Chase?" He asked as he moved towards her.

"He left already, took a cab." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Good."

With that, he wrapped his free hand around her waist and pressed a heart stopping his to her lips, eliciting a surprised gasp from her, stunning her before she responded, her hands were now gripping his upper arms, pushing her body up against his.

"Can't do that…. Bad things will happen." He rasped in her ear as her hips pressed intimately against his.

"Oh, I don't think it's going to be bad… I think it'll actually be very very good." She said, whispering the last three words.

All he could do was growl and crash his lips down on hers.

He came back up for air several moments later. "We better go before we test your theory." He told her gruffly.

She laughed as they left. "What's that smell?"

And… There you go! I have one or two chapters left, I think… REVIEW


	16. The Big Announcement

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Chapter 16: The Big Announcement

Cameron and House were among the first to arrive at Emerald City Bar. Wilson was at the bar, chatting with Chase.

Burke was the first to greet them. "Glad you came. We haven't really had much of a chance to talk since you got in town." Preston said to House as he offered his hand.

House smirked. "Well I have plenty of time for girl talk now, if you're interested." He remarked, shaking the other man's hand firmly. Burke had the good sense of humor to laugh.

Cameron moved away and made her way to the bar. She ordered a Scotch for House and a glass of white wine for herself.

"So are you ready to head home?" A voice asked from beside her. She glanced over. It was Dr. Stevens.

"I am." She nodded as she paid for her drinks.

"That was a great diagnosis you made." Izzie continued, taking a sip of her beer.

Cameron eyed the eager blonde and shrugged. "It's part of the job." She replied easily.

"A job that sounds pretty amazing… You work in one of the best hospitals in the country." Izzie went on, her tone indicating her awe of PPTH.

"So do you." Cameron countered with a slight nod of her head.

"Yeah… But there are just too many memories… Bad ones." Izzie trailed off, her tone was softer, slightly sadder.

Cameron felt a pang of sympathy shoot through her. "There's nothing wrong with starting over." She told the younger woman before turning and heading back to House, who was now sitting at a table, twirling his cane impatiently.

"How was the session?" He questioned, his tone sarcastic as he accepted the drink.

She just grinned and rolled her eyes. "The girl is a little lost, that's all. But I think she's going to take Wilson's offer." She reported.

"Well, she'd be stupid not to." He retorted, his eyes focused on Wilson now.

"What? I didn't think you wanted her there…?" Cameron asked, setting her wine glass down

"Well, I don't. But Princeton's a hell of a hospital, and if you're offered the shot to work there, you take it, plain and simple, doesn't matter what it is, you just take it." He said, still not looking at her.

"Well that's what made me decide to accept your job offer." She replied, her tone casual.

That was enough to grab his attention. He turned to look at her, a questioning look on her face.

"I took it for the opportunity… If I'd based my decision on you alone… I wouldn't be here." She explained.

He was quiet for a moment. "Nice to know you've got some common sense hiding behind all that sticky emotional stuff." He finally said, this time only a hint of sarcasm coming through.

Meredith and Cristina strode into the bar together. "So what's up with you and McDreamy?" Cristina asked as they made their way over to the group.

"He signed." Meredith responded, keeping her voice low and neutral.

_FLASHBACK_

_Derek finally found Meredith up on the roof. She was sitting on the side, staring out the skyline._

"_Mere?" He questioned softly._

_She didn't even turn to look at him, didn't even greet him._

"_Can I sit?" He asked, coming to stand by her._

"_Derek, if you're just here to yell or remind me that you're married… Just… don't. OK? I get it." She told him abruptly._

_A moment later, a white document was thrust in her face._

"_I signed." He announced, not knowing how else to say it._

"_I see that." She replied, her eyes reading over the document._

"_I should have done it a long time ago. We were kidding ourselves. It was over before she came out here." He went on, taking a seat next to her._

_She was quiet for awhile. "I don't know Derek… I just don't know if it's enough… This last year has been really hard for me. I… I can't just jump in where we left off." She whispered at last, hoping she was making the right call._

_He was quiet. "I can't imagine how much that must've hurt. Take all the time you need. I'll be here." He reassured her._

_With that, he stood and left, leaving her to her misery._

Cristina abruptly grabbed her by the arm and lead her away from the group.

"He signed??" She said, really not believing what she was hearing.

"Yep. Last night." Meredith replied.

"What's wrong?? Why aren't you happier about this??" Cristina demanded.

Meredith shrugged. "It's hard to get excited…. It's been really hard on me Cristina… I'm not sure if I'm ready to just start all over again." She explained softly.

Cristina stood beside her in silence. "Mere… You slept with practically every guy in Seattle, all because of him… Now you don't want to be with him?!" Cristina questioned, exasperated.

"It's not that easy. It's been really painful. I can't just go right back to the man who caused all that Cristina. I just can't." Meredith told her friend, her voice full of vindication.

That being said, Meredith turned on her heel and went off to greet Dr. Chase.

"Something wrong?" Preston asked, coming up beside her.

"She's nuts. She's totally lost her mind. And I can't find it. I tried, but I don't know where she hid it." Cristina replied as he led her back to the group.

"God, this place is like a zoo. I hate it." House whined as he downed his second Scotch.

"Stop. You don't hate it." Cameron replied as she took a sip of wine.

"I'd hate it less if they played a little of The Who." He hinted. She rolled her eyes but got up headed to the juke box, fishing change out of her pocket as she went.

House watched her retreating figure, thoroughly enjoying her ass when he realized someone had sat down next to him.

"You know, it's sort of rude to stare." Wilson piped up from his seat next to House.

"Not if I'm gonna get some… Eventually." House replied, turning to face his friend.

Wilson just rolled his eyes. "You look spiffy. Maybe you're planning to get some later too? With the blonde?? Hey, I'll camp in Cameron's room if that's the case…" House remarked, wiggling his eyebrows at Wilson.

"Oh stop. Just let it go." The oncologist said as the waitress took his order.

A few moments later, Cameron returned to her seat just in time for Izzie to get out of her seat from one of the surrounding tables. Everyone had heard about the job offer and it seemed as though she was about to announce her decision.

"Um… Hi. So… I guess you all know that Dr. Wilson offered me a job out in New Jersey… And it's a great opportunity and since it's like, this once in a lifetime thing, I'm going to take it. So, Dr. Wilson. I'm officially accepting your offer!"

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	17. Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

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Chapter 17: Should I Stay or Should I Go

House hadn't been the slightest bit surprised at the big announcement. The blonde wasn't as dumb as he thought.

"Smart girl." Cameron commented as she took the last swallow of her wine.

"Two weeks and he'll be signing away another marriage and sleeping with the help." House predicted as he took a sip of his drink. She stood to get another for herself but he rattled his now empty glass at her and all she did was nod. She was used to him, knew when she could push and when to just let it be. _She's good… Too good. Scary good. _

He let the thought drop from his mind as he raked his eyes across the room, taking in the scene in front of him.

Wilson was congratulating Izzie, who was completely content to let him rest his hand on her arm and whisper in her ear. _Make that a week and a half._

Her little intern buddies were crowded around them too, offering their congratulations, albeit, halfheartedly, as they'd obviously been hoping she'd stay, though they must've realized she needed to leave. _I need to leave, this place is worse then General Hospital._

When his eyes came to rest on a certain two child prodigies, he sat up a little straighter.

"So… Looks like your friend is moving." Chase said, unsure of what else to say, but still feeling slightly stupid for stating the obvious.

"Yeah… I'm not surprised. She needs to start over." Meredith replied, not making eye contact with Chase, her fingers tracing the rim of her wine glass.

"How about you? Are you and Derek starting over?" Chase asked as he took a drink of his beer.

Meredith sighed. "He signed his divorce papers. But I don't think it's just that easy." She answered softly.

"But you love him, don't you?" He questioned.

"I do. But-" She started to reply.

"Then that's all there is to it. No one's saying you have to get married next week, but don't you think you should tell him how you feel? I mean, the man signed his divorce papers and you were the first to know. That means something." Chase reminded her quiettly.

Meredith sat back in her chair, looking a bit stunned.

"Go." He told her, placing a hand on her arm.

She turned to him for the first time and her blue eyes met his. She grabbed her purse and tossed a twenty on the bar and started out the door.

He turned back to the bar, staring down at the well worn varnished wood, his fingers tracing the ruts and splintered wood.

A moment later, he felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned.

The next thing he knew, Meredith was wrapping him in a hug. "I just want you to know… What you did… The kind of person you are… I wish…. You get me." She choked out, her words hitting his ears. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks." Was all he could say, smiling softly. She pulled back and gently kissed his cheek.

"There's a part of me…" She trailed off, unsure of how to say what she felt.

"Don't. It'll only make this harder." He told her, giving her the out. She smiled, holding his gaze for a moment, before turning and heading out the door.

Another set of blue eyes watched her exit, this pair slightly older, slightly wiser. "Hey, if you're going to ogle other women, I can go." A voice from the other side of him piped up.

He turned and Cameron was there, standing a foot away, her arms crossed, giving him a very convincing, fake glare.

His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her flush against his side.

Cameron felt like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. Her breath caught in her throat and all she could feel was his body against hers.

"You aren't going anywhere unless I'm going with you." He whispered in her ear, his hand releasing her wrist and resting on her lower back.

His words sent shivers down her spine.

She turned to look him in the eye and she felt her heart skip a beat. His eyes were filled with desire, but it wasn't just that he wanted her… He needed her.

"Should we stay or should we go?" She asked, running a single finger along the back of his neck.

He let his eyes close for a moment, enjoying the sensations she was creating, and then slowly re-opened them, meeting her eyes.

"Seriously?"

I've decided to let this play out a bit longer, we have a slightly dirty chapter coming up, reply to this with your email and I'll send you the smutty version, otherwise, it'll be toned down for the rating.

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	18. Finally

NOTE: There is a dirty version of this chapter. PM me for it.

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Chapter 18: Finally

House couldn't keep the shock off his face. "Are you actually asking me that question?" He finally managed to sputter out, fully intending for the comment to be full of sarcasm, yet the best he could do was incredulity.

She raised an eyebrow and leaned down, her breath whispering across his ear. "Not really. Because 'yes' was the only acceptable answer." She told him, her voice scraping across his nerves, leaving him raw and restless.

He snatched his cane off the table and fumbled for his wallet, tossing a $50 on the table. He turned and caught Wilson's eye.

The younger man gave his friend a questioning gaze. House held his stare for a moment, then turned and followed Cameron out of the bar, or rather, pushed her out of the bar.

They made it as far as the car. The moment she reached for the passenger door, he snatched her hand away and pinned her to the side of the car, his body pressing intimately against hers.

"If I'd known you liked to play dirty I wouldn't have waited this long." He ground out as he let the feeling of her young body wash over him. _Youth is a wonderful thing._

She looked up into his eyes, her own dark and drowning in lust and emotion. "Yes, you would have." She shot back, her voice throaty and raw.

He didn't even bother to respond, just wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and pulled her up against him, his lips colliding with hers.

Her hands, now free, gripped his biceps, holding on for dear life as the electricity from his kiss traveled from her scalp to her toes. It was wonderfully electrifying.

His body pushed at hers, pushing her breasts up against his chest. His tongue demanded entrance and she was far past the point of protesting, she let him have his way, because it just felt so much better when he took over.

After a moment, he hauled himself back, his breathing ragged.

"Get in the car." He told her, yanking it open for her as he made his way to the driver's side.

The ride back to the hotel was short and tense. He kept stealing glances at her, raking his eyes across her body, taking her in.

They managed to get to the hotel and make it inside to the nearby bank of elevators.

A few moments later, they stepped inside the car and the doors slid shut. He turned to look at her, a predatory gleam in his eye now.

"Interesting thing about elevators… Apparently, out here, they aren't just elevators… They're sex elevators… And when in Rome…." He trailed off, moving a few steps closer as he spoke, backing her into the corner.

Before she could respond, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, revealing their floor.

"Timing's a bitch, huh?" She smirked as she stepped off the elevator, House only a few steps behind.

She slid her key card in the door and they stepped inside. All of a sudden, a wave of nervousness came over her. _What do I do? Do I go right to my room? Sit on the couch? Strip naked?_

He didn't seem to be having the same problem though, as he strode in right behind her, grabbing her arm as he moved past her.

"Not a good time to stop." He told her as she caught up.

He quickly ushered her inside her room. She walked in ahead of him and he shut the door, locking it.

The click of the lock was the only sound in the room.

He moved to her side, darkness and clothing their only barrier. She heard him prop his cane up against the wall. She closed her eyes as she felt his hands rest on her hips. She could feel his breath on her cheek as she lowered his face to hers.

His lips met hers and Cameron felt a tingle race down her spine. He tasted like scotch, a little bitter but exactly what she wanted. She willingly opened her mouth to his tongue when he ran it along her lips. His grip tightened on her waist as she pushed up against him.

His leg couldn't take standing much longer and they both knew it. Cameron felt him shift and found herself on the bed before she could blink.

He was partially covering her body with his as his fingers slipped underneath her shirt, burning a trail across her cool skin.

He watched her expression as his hand traveled further north, slowly creeping towards her small but full breasts.

His fingers reached their destination and he allowed only his fingertips to feel her bra-clad breasts.

Her breathing hitched a little as he continued his ministrations. He couldn't wait any longer. He needed to see them. He stripped the shirt off of her and was met with a silky black bra.

He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it aside before turning his attention towards the removal of her bra. He returned his mouth to hers as he undid her bra with a quick flick of his wrist.

He pulled back to admire the youthful brunette beneath him. "Wow. I knew they'd be nice, but not this nice…" He murmured, bringing his palm up to cup one of them, eliciting a hiss of satisfaction from her.

"I think you're a little overdressed." She told him after several wonderfully torturous moments.

He sat up and tugged his shirt off, toeing his shoes off while he was at it.

Cameron sat up on the other side of the bed and quickly unzipped her boots and pulled them off.

Unbeknownst to her, he was done already and had turned to watch her. His eyes traced the line of her back as she stood. His eyes widened as she moved her fingers to her pants and began to strip them off.

"Now that's a view." He growled, his voice low and predatory.

She almost stopped… But she managed to force herself to keep going. The pants dropped to the floor, revealing a pair of sexy mesh panties. She turned to face him, her long hair hanging past her shoulders.

She grinned and climbed back into the bed and over to him. She pushed her body up against his and pressed her lips to his, her tongue now the one begging for entrance….

(INSERT DIRTY PART HERE)

Cameron leaned back against the pillows and exhaled softly. She felt House shift next to her and waited for him to haul himself out of bed.

But he didn't. She felt his hand brush against her bare hip. "Are you alright?" His voice was low, barely above a whisper.

She smiled, grateful for the darkness. She didn't want him to see that. "I'm fine." She replied lightly.

His hand remained on her hip. He didn't pull her closer but he didn't pull his hand away either.

"Good." Was all he said.

She closed her eyes and allowed sleep to slowly wash over her.

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	19. Wrapping Up

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Chapter 19: Wrapping Up

Cameron woke up to House shifting in bed. She glanced at the clock with sleep filled eyes. It wasn't even 5 am. _He must be in pain._

She heard him hiss a sigh as he turned over. Silently, she slipped out of bed, her modesty no longer an issue, and found his pants. She pulled out the pill bottle, strode to his side of the bed and wordlessly handed him his pills.

He dry swallowed them and rolled back over. "Now if only I could get you to give me my pills naked all the time…" He muttered, pulling the covers back as she slipped into bed.

"In your dreams." She replied easily as she pulled covers over her naked body.

He grabbed ahold of one of her legs and hauled it over his midsection, letting her feel just how, um, 'grateful' he was.

"Every night." He shot back, releasing her leg, which she left laying loosely over his good leg. No more words were spoken and soon they were both drifting back to sleep.

He woke before she did. He hadn't planned it that way but turns out, watching a naked woman sleep had its advantages.

He slowly slipped out of bed, his leg not killing him so much due to his 3 AM dosage. He turned to watch her. She was on her back now, her breathing deep and even, her chest rising and falling softly. Her hair was every which way. _Sex with me looks good on her._

He glanced at the clock, he had to wake her if they were going to catch their flight.

He leaned over and pulled her hair back from her face. "Allison." He called, trying hard to make it sound kind rather than demanding.

She stirred and opened her eyes. He braced himself for the sunny, chipper attitude he was sure she was going to wake up with after a night with him.

Instead she blinked a few times and yawned. Then she raised her hands above her head, the tops of her breasts exposed slightly as she did so. He watched her moves intently, like a cougar stalking its prey.

He turned his attention to grabbing his stuff off the floor, feeling like he shouldn't stare so much. He glanced up at just the right moment as she threw back the covers and slipped out of bed. Completely naked, she strode right by him to the shower. His jaw dropped at the sight of her naked body in the bright sunlight. He heard the door click and the shower come on.

"There is a god." He muttered to himself as he pulled on his pants and slipped out of the room.

Luckily for him, Chase and Foreman were still out cold. He managed to sneak into his own suite and made it to the bathroom.

An hour later, everyone except Cameron was in the living room. House and Wilson were both showered and ready to go. Foreman was on the phone with the hospital, confirming Clark's conditions were improving and Chase was online checking them all in for the flight home.

Cameron emerged from her room a moment later, pulling her luggage behind her. So far, Wilson was the only one who knew House hadn't slept in his bed and one deadly look from House before they'd left the suite had zipped Wilson's lips.

House let his eyes quickly travel the length of her body. Faded jeans, tight black long sleeve top, black and white Converse and a black Yankees cap completed her look, her long brown hair cascading down her back.

"Morning everyone." She said through a yawn, stepping into the kitchen to order up breakfast.

By 9 am they were all pre-boarding, once again thanks to House's leg.

House situated himself in the aisle seat same as he did last time. Wilson walked up behind him a moment later. "Izzie's catching a flight out next week." He told House as he went to sit next to him but House slapped his cane down over it.

"Saved." He informed Wilson.

The blonde man rolled his eyes and nodded, taking the seat in front of him. Cameron came up next and saw House's cane laying over the seat next to him. Not that she'd expected to sit next to him, she knew he used that seat for all his stuff. She was about to sit down one row ahead of him, next to Wilson but felt a poke in her side. It was House's cane.

"What are you doing?" He asked, as if she'd just pulled a gun out of her purse.

"Sitting down." She replied slowly, as if speaking to a child.

"Up there?" He questioned, his look intentionally confused.

"Where else am I going to sit?" She returned, her eyebrows raised in question.

Wilson said nothing. He knew what House was doing. And he knew when to keep quiet.

She watched as he lifted his cane from the seat next to his. "You can sit here. I need someone to hold my stuff." He told her tartly.

She kept her expression neutral and rolled her eyes skyward. She sighed and grabbed her stuff and sitting down next to him. He handed her his gameboy and kept his iPod, slipping the buds in his ears.

"Waitress!" He called out, waving at the flight attendants in the front of the plane with his right hand.

And he took her hand in his left and squeezed.

THE END


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